Crossover
by Ron the True Fan
Summary: Two universes meet at the turning points of their histories. Will this be the promised end or a new beginning?
1. Prologue: Through the Looking Glass

Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!

* * *

_**Defera Sector - near VZA-4001**_

* * *

It had been an ordinary patrol mission - patrol the Defera Sector, protecting the neutral Deferi against potential Breen Aggression.

That had changed when the USS _Raging Tempest_, a _Sao Paulo_-Class Tactical Escort, had run into a Borg Fleet moving through the sector.

On the Bridge, the Captain of the ship, Captain Takeshi Yamato, was doing what he did best - commanding his ship from the Helm Console while he flew rings around the Borg Ships.

"Matt, give me Emergency Power to the Engines!" Takeshi ordered as he closed in on a group of Probes. "Tholra, I want the Cannons on Scatter Volley Mode and a full Spread of Quantum Torpedoes!"

Matthew Williams, his Chief Engineer, replied with an "Aye, Captain," as he went to work, while Tholra, a Xindi-Reptilian who had recently joined the crew after the cessation of hostilities between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, nodded and keyed up the requisite fire patterns.

As the ship closed to firing range, Takeshi pulled the trigger on his Manual Steering Column, his Quad Phaser Cannons spraying out a cone of fire at the approaching Probes, shredding their shields even as thirty-five Quantum Torpedoes shot out, detonating in clusters around the shieldless Probes and completely destroying them.

Two spheres locked their weapons onto the _Raging Tempest_ before firing, hitting the 150 meter long ship with plasma-infused disruptor beams. The most dangerous threat, however, was fast approaching: a tactical cube, which the _Tempest_ could not handle alone. It locked a tractor beam onto the _Sao Paulo_, intent on doing what the Borg did best. While obvious, the Borg decided to make their intentions known. "_We are the Borg. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile._"

Takeshi snarled at the Tactical Cube on the viewscreen. "We'll see about that," he growled. "Kim! Polarize the Hull Plating!"

His Science Officer - really more Sensor Operator, given that the _Sao Paulo_ was a warship with limited science capabilities - nodded, magnetically polarizing the hull plating, and breaking the ship free of the tractor, as Takeshi turned the ship around and sped away from the Tactical Cube. Still, they needed reinforcements if they were going to take it out.

One of the spheres fired on the _Tempest_ before four quantum torpedoes hit the Borg pseudo-cruiser, destroying it before a Sovereign-class starship flew through the ship's debris, providing support to the beleaguered escort. "_This is Captain Ronald Pinkerton of the _Ra-Cailum," her Captain said over the comms. "_Need a hand, Captain?_"

"Much obliged, Captain Pinkerton!" Takeshi replied. "That Tactical Cube is the biggest threat right now!"

"_Commence strafing runs on the cube while we keep their attention focused on us,_" Pinkerton ordered. "_You've taken quite a few hits, so I would think you'll be happy about that._"

"Understood!" Takeshi replied, grinning. "Let's show these clankers what we can do!"

The larger Ra-cailum fired a volley of photon torpedoes from the forward saucer and engineering section torpedo launchers, showering the cube with a large number of red balls of death that impacted and exploded inside the hull of the tactical cube.

"_Your culture will adapt to service us._" the Borg said. "_Resistance is futile._"

The Sovereign's deflector lit up before firing a beam at the cube, creating a Tyken's Rift that only affected enemy starships. This was a new feature of the multirole deflector dish, as creating a Tyken's Rift was not only highly risky, but damn near impossible to do outside nature.

Of course, the Borg tried to dissipate the rift through weapons fire, firing plasma beams and torpedoes into the rift. This had an unusual side effect, though…

"_Oh, shit. Get the fuck out of here!_" The energy readings were growing, as well as a familiar signature being registered on their sensors. And there was only one thing that signature belonged to. The Enterprise-D had encountered something like this in 2370, a year before the ship was lost. Worf, in the shuttlecraft Curie, was transposed and jumped from universe to universe until the anomaly was sealed and he returned to his proper reality. Before either ship could escape, the Tyken's rift expanded in white light, enveloping the tactical cube, the _Raging Tempest_ and the _Ra-Cailum_.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in another universe…**_

_**Systems Alliance Stealth Frigate **_**Normandy**_**, approaching Eden Prime**_

* * *

"_Engaging Stealth Systems,_" Pilot Jeff "Joker" Moreau said over the intercom as the SSV _Normandy_ descended into the atmosphere of the Systems Alliance colony of Eden Prime, flying over what looked like a research dig. "_Someone was doing some serious digging here, Captain._"

A massive understatement, as there were holes that made craters back on Earth look tiny. Several buildings were on fire, although the main complex was untouched. It seemed whoever was attacking wanted the place intact.

In the Cargo/Deployment Bay of the ship, the ship's Captain, Anderson, was briefing a team of four soldiers, two male and two female. All were wearing what was classified as 'Onyx' Armor, though the two women had a red stripe along the right arm, and 'N7' Markings above their left breasts. One of the women also had a sword strapped to her back. Also in the bay was a Turian, making his own preparations.

"Your team's the muscle in this operation, Commander," Anderson was saying to the lead soldier, one of the women. "Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site."

"What about survivors?" the soldier, Commander Nicole Shepard, Candidate to become the first human in the Spectres, asked. "Someone had to've survived this attack."

"Survivors are secondary, Shepard," Anderson told her. "The beacon's your top priority."

"_We are approaching drop point one,_" Joker reported, as the bay doors began opening.

One of the humans looked at the only Turian there. "Nihlus? You coming with us?" the soldier asked.

The Turian shook his head. While he would have liked to accompany the human team and see how they handled themselves, he had a mission to fulfill. "I move faster on my own." He jumped out of the prototype stealth ship, moving as fast as possible.

"Nihlus will scout out ahead," Anderson informed. "He'll feed you status reports throughout the mission. Otherwise, I want radio silence."

"We've got his back, Captain!" Shepard replied. The other woman nodded.

"_Approaching drop point two,_" Joker reported.

The team of humans rushed off the ship, jumping off the forward hatch and landing on the ground running. Other than what little indigenous life was on the planet before the colony was set up, there wasn't a damn thing down there. "Stay close," Shepard ordered. "Whatever's attacking the colony might - Jenkins, don't rush ahead!"

The man in question walked toward a crossroads, flanked by a pair of rocks. "Commander, I'm from Eden Prime," he said. "I know the place better than-" Jenkins was interrupted mid-sentence as two drones shot him in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground.

The remaining three quickly retaliated, opening fire with their pistols and quickly downing the drones.

Once the drones were down, the remaining male, Kaidan Alenko, went up to Jenkins, checked his status through his Omni-tool, then reached out to shut the Private's eyes. "Ripped right through his shields," Kaidan reported as he stood up. "He never had a chance."

"We'll see that he receives a proper service after the mission is complete," Shepard replied. "But I need you to stay focused."

"Normandy _to Shepard,_" Anderson said over the comm. "_We're picking something up in high orbit. It might be enemy reinforcements, so keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you, because we're going to investigate._"

Shepard simply clicked her comm twice, showing acknowledgement. Had to be important if Anderson was breaking radio silence to let her know. She then turned to her two remaining teammates: Kaidan and Lieutenant Hitomi Yamato. "Let's move out. We need to get to the dig site ASAP."

* * *

_**Eden Prime - high orbit**_

* * *

Two starships emerged from a rift, one being almost 700 meters long while the other was barely a quarter of that size.

In the smaller starship, Takeshi groaned as he regained consciousness, shaking his head as he found himself on the Bridge, at the Helm Console as per usual. "Wh… where are we…?" he asked. "Kim, you got anything?"

Kim shook her head to clear the cobwebs as she looked at the displays.

"Oh, shit," she replied. "Captain, according to the computer… we're on the other side of the galaxy." While nowhere near as powerful as the computers on the larger Ra-Cailum, (the cores on the Ra-Cailum were 8 decks high while the Raging Tempest's were MUCH smaller) they were powerful enough to calculate their current location. "We're also on auxiliary power: the dilithium matrix shut down."

THAT was going to be a problem. The _Defiant_-Class (and all of her subtypes, which included the _Sao Paulo_-Class _Raging Tempest_) only had two fusion reactors. That was barely enough to power one of the two phaser arrays.

"Damn, that isn't good," Takeshi replied. "Matt, can you get the Warp Core up and running again?"

"It's going to take a while," Matt replied, as he stood up and began heading out of the Bridge to get to Main Engineering. "I'm going to need time to recrystallize the dilithium, and that's if the crystals are intact. Until then, we're non-combatant: we're going to need that _Sovereign_ out there to protect us."

"Do what you can," Takeshi replied. "I feel like a sitting duck drifting almost powerless like this."

"Ra-Cailum _to _Raging Tempest," Ron's voice said as it came over the airwaves. "_Captain Yamato, are you alive over there, or do I have to send over a crew?_"

Takeshi chuckled. The Ra-Cailum had more fusion reactors than the Tempest did, so it was like nothing had changed. That was the main reason the Enterprise-E was more than capable of fighting the Scimitar back in 2379, despite losing warp power. "We're alive," Takeshi replied, "but we're on auxiliary power only - wherever that rift sent us, it shut down our Warp Core in the process."

"_Same on our end, Captain,_" Ron informed. "_How many torpedoes do you have left?_" and now Takeshi was regretting using so many Quantum Torpedoes. While they could make the torpedoes using the right materials and equipment, (Voyager proved that much during its' run through the Delta Quadrant) Quantums were a bitch to produce on a starship. He was going to have to tone down the torpedo spamming.

"Checking inventory…" Takeshi reported, before wincing. "We've got about 50 left - not quite as bad as I was afraid of, but still not good."

"_We'll have to start producing photons on a massive scale if we can't get back home,_" Ron replied. "_Hold it, we've got a contact on sensors: looks to be using thermal stealth technology._" A poor man's cloaking device if there ever was one. Thermal stealth was good against heat sensors, but useless against every other type of scanning technology. The romulans invented the modern cloaking device as they knew it back in the 2100s, although it was very primitive compared to the perfected version used by the _T'liss_-class warbird that fought the _Enterprise_ back in 2266, which shielded them from ALL sensor technology, to a point. That cycle continued until 2379, with the perfect cloak of the Reman Warbird _Scimitar_.

"Who in the galaxy uses thermal stealth technology in this day and age?" Takeshi asked. "Cloaking devices are widespread enough that they can be used on anything, and are likely much cheaper than thermal stealth..."

"_Don't know, don't care,_" Ron replied. "_We're going to contact the ship. How much power do you have for weapons in case they start shooting at us?_"

"On auxiliary power alone, we've got barely enough to power one Phaser Array," Takeshi informed. "My Chief Engineer's working on the problem, but no clue about whether we'll be getting main power back any time soon."

"_I'll send my chief engineer over as soon as possible if need be,_" Ron replied. "_I'll patch you in to our hail to the unknown._" A brief tone was heard. "_Attention, unidentified vessel: this is Captain Ronald Pinkerton of the Federation starship _Ra-Cailum_. Identify yourself and your intent, or we will be forced to defend ourselves._"

There was a moment of silence before the reply came. "_This is Captain David Anderson of the Systems Alliance Frigate _Normandy_,_" the other ship's captain said. "_We noticed your… arrival here, and decided to investigate - you are currently in Systems Alliance territory, after all._"

"_Well, shit,_" Ron replied. "_Sorry about just popping up, but we didn't have much of a choice, Captain. Mind explaining what the hell is going on?_"

"_Eden Prime, the world below us, is one of our colonies,_" Anderson replied. "_And currently it is under attack - who is behind it, or why, we don't know yet._"

Takeshi had a feeling that Ron was going to be ordering them into action. While not worded in the same manner, that WAS a distress call, and regulations stated that if you receive a distress call, you answer it. "_Captain Yamato, remind me to have a talk with the boys at Utopia Planitia when we get back about adding more powerful reactors to _Defiant_-type TacEscs,_" he said. "_I'll launch a flight of _Peregrines _to cover the _Raging Tempest_: we're going in to assist._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "I'll also get a ground team ready - we're likely going to need to deal with the attackers on the ground as well as up here."

The _Ra-Cailum_'s shuttlebay doors opened, deploying a flight of _Peregrine_-Class fighters. "_If you've barely got enough power for phasers, you won't have enough for the transporters,_" Ron said. "_I'll have two of my best pilots escort your team down to the surface. Good luck, Captain. _Ra-Cailum _out._" The _Sovereign_-Class starship fired her impulse engines, heading for the enemy ships attacking the planet.

"Understood," Takeshi replied, before turning to his Security Chief. "Linda, you're in charge of the ground team," he informed her. "Use the _Cyclone_ to get down to the surface, and take the Assault Squad with you - we can't spare any engineers, but have Mogire send one of her Medics with you as well."

Takeshi's Security Chief, Commander Linda Allster-Yamato, nodded. "You've got it, Takeshi," she said. "Good luck up here." She then left the Bridge, to gather her team and get to the shuttle bay.

Takeshi spared a moment to watch her leave, slightly worried about her - natural, because, even though he knew she could hold her own, she was still his wife - before turning back to the helm. He then opened a channel with Engineering. "Bridge to Engineering. Matt, what's it look like down there?"

"_The dilithium crystals are going to need to be recrystallized,_" came the reply. "_It's a good thing Captain Scott developed that process back in the 23rd Century, otherwise we'd be screwed. It's still going to take time, so we've got to sit this one out._" Meanwhile, the Ra-Cailum was going to be fighting whoever the hell was attacking alone.

Takeshi sighed. "Understood, Matt," he said. "Hurry it up as best you can, but make sure it still gets done properly. Bridge out."

Meanwhile, Linda and her team, including a Doctor and Nurse trained for field ops, loaded into the _Cyclone_, the _Raging Tempest's_ Type-10 Shuttlecraft. Once they were aboard, the doors for the _Raging Tempest's_ small shuttlebay opened, and they launched, a pair of _Peregrine_ Fighters escorting them down to the surface.

* * *

_**Eden Prime - surface**_

* * *

Ashley Williams was having a VERY bad day. The assholes attacking the colony (whom she finally identified as the Geth) were taking the colonists to these giant spikes and impaling all of them on the damn things. Some of her squadmates ended up the same way. 'A little help would be nice!'

At that point, the two Geth Troopers that were chasing her directed their attention to the top of the ridge, where three Alliance troopers, including two that looked like N7s, had appeared. One of the N7s took cover up there, drawing an M-92 Mantis Sniper Rifle, while the other N7 drew a sword - looked a bit like a katana - then vanished in the flicker of pseudomotion indicating a Biotic Charge, landing directly in front of the Geth before striking out with her sword.

'_Well, at least I'm not dead,_' she thought, as the Geth were quickly dealt with, slaughtered by a combination of bullets and biotic powers. "Thanks for the assist. Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Williams of the 212th. Well, not anymore, seeing as I'm the only one left."

"Are you wounded, Williams?" the N7 sniper asked, as the four all gathered together.

"A few scrapes and burns, but nothing serious," Ashley informed. "I know what we're fighting, though: it's the Geth."

"The Geth?" the swordswoman asked. "But they haven't been seen outside the Veil in years."

"I don't know why, but they're here regardless, ma'am," Ashley replied. Before anything more could be said…

"Normandy _to Shepard,_" came over the comms.

The sniper raised her hand to the comm button on her helmet. "Shepard here," she said. "What is it?"

"_We've identified the contacts,_" Anderson replied. "_They seem to be friendly, seeing as one of them wants to help take care of the ships in orbit attacking. They've sent down a team to assist you in securing the colony as well. There's… something else, as well._"

"What is it?" Shepard asked, somewhat curious as to what else there was.

"_I don't know how, Shepard, but they detected us long before we could get in visual range,_" Anderson informed. "_You and I know that shouldn't be possible._"

Shepard's eyes widened at that. "They saw through the stealth systems?" she asked, incredulously.

"_Like an owl spotting a mouse before it struck,_" Anderson replied. "_They offered to help us as soon as we told them our situation, though: one of the ships is heading toward the ships attacking the colony._"

"Speaking of the attack, sir, I've linked up with one of the survivors," Shepard informed. "She's identified the attackers as Geth."

"_But we haven't seen them outside the Veil in - never mind,_" Anderson responded. "_The _Ra-Cailum_, one of the ships, is moving in to engage the Geth fleet. Press on to the beacon, Shepard: the second team will rendezvous with you somewhere en route._"

"Understood, sir," Shepard replied. "Ground team, out." She then turned to Ashley. "Williams, you still good to go?"

"Ready, willing, and vengeful, Commander. give the word."

Shepard then subconsciously voiced the words of another great leader. "The word is given. Let's go."

* * *

_**Shuttlecraft **_**Cyclone**_**, attached to USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

The Type-10 shuttle moved toward the nearest landing point, still under escort by the _Peregrines_. Their job, so they informed Linda, was to provide RFCAS. she had NO idea what that meant.

"Peregrine _1 to _Cyclone," the lead pilot told her. "We're approaching the landing point."

"Understood," Linda replied. "Once we land, we'll link up with local defenders or the ground team from the _Normandy_, whichever we run into first." She turned to her team. "Everyone ready?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the Assault Squaddies and Medics replied as one.

The _Chafee_-type shuttle landed, followed by the opening of the doors and the debarking of the assault team, who ran into their enemy two minutes after they landed: robots of some kind, using assault rifles of unknown make and design.

The assault team opened up with their weapons - primarily Phaser Rifles and Pulsewave Assault Weapons, though Linda herself was using a TR-116B, and striking like the sniper she was. They went through the enemy in seconds.

"Take the weapons," Linda ordered. "Once we get back to the ships, we can have the _Ra-Cailum_'s labs look them over, see how they work. Try to salvage some of the robots, too - would be interesting to see how similar they are to androids in our universe. Once that's done, let's get moving again."

"Yes, ma'am." Two of the robots were carried into the _Cyclone_, as well as several of the rifles, although they didn't seem to work anymore. "Commander, my tricorder's picking up two lifesigns: unknown. Think we should check them out?"

"Yes," Linda replied. "They could be survivors. Stay cautious, though."

Linda gestured the team forward, heading for the two lifeforms' general location. After a minute or so, they discovered the lifeforms: two of them, wearing armor of some kind.

"Saren?" the first one asked, apparently having just seen the other one.

The second figure, apparently called 'Saren', looked similar to the first, but he had cybernetic components that almost made Linda think of the Borg. He turned to face the first. "Nihlus," he said.

"This isn't your mission, Saren," Nihlus remarked, lowering his weapon. "What are you doing here?"

"The Council thought you could use some help on this one," Saren replied, placing a hand on Nihlus' shoulder, then walking past him. Linda could tell that something was amiss, but wasn't sure what…

"I wasn't expecting to find the Geth here," Nihlus said. "The situation's bad."

"Don't worry," Saren replied, drawing his pistol - and pointing it at Nihlus' head. "I have it under contr-"

Before Saren could finish, though, Linda had snapped off a shot from her TR-116, the bullet apparently being stopped by his shields, but the sound of the shields blocking the shot drew Nihlus' attention, and he turned to see Saren pointing the pistol at him.

"What the hell? Why did you-" Saren roared in rage before trying to shoot him again, but Nihlus dodged while the rest of the team fired their phaser rifles at Saren. This drew fire from the robots in hiding.

Saren retreated, dodging the fire from the phaser rifles as the team was forced to reorient on the Geth, even as Nihlus added his own fire to the equation. At the same time, the bodies on the spikes dropped to the ground, reverted into zombie-esque machines that took a lot of weapons fire to bring down.

"What the hell are those things?!" one of the team asked.

"Set your phasers to maximum!" Linda ordered. "That might be the only way to take them down!" The sound of an impulse engine got their attention as Peregrine 1 flew overhead, firing off plasma charges that exploded FAR too close for Linda's comfort, but making sure that Nihlus, whoever he was, was safe. Speaking of the man, he made his way to Linda's position, confused as all hell, judging by the look on his alien face.

"Good to see you alright," Linda told him when he got there. "Wasn't about to let him shoot you in the back like he'd apparently been planning on."

"Thank you," Nihlus replied, "but I'm curious: who are you? You're not Alliance, but you're clearly human."

"Commander Linda Allster-Yamato, from the Federation Starship _Raging Tempest_," she replied. "We're… not from around here…"

Nihlus gave her the 'no shit' look. "Clearly," he said. "Nihlus Kryik, Spectre, Citadel Council. I owe you for saving my ass, but I DO want an explanation as to who the hell you people are later!"

"You'll get it!" Linda said as she fired at the Husks with her TR-116B before realizing the weapon was damn near useless against targets that were already dead. She drew her phaser pistol, firing it at the dead bodies that were now trying to kill them.

At that point, Shepard's team crested the ridge nearest the spaceport, and ran down the slope, their own guns firing on the Husks.

"I wonder what took them so long!" Nihlus said. "Commander, tell your team to-" Peregrine 1 strafed the ground with pulse cannon fire just as he spoke, vaporizing whatever was left. "Well… that was… new."

Linda then realized what 'RFCAS' meant: Really Fucking Close Air Support. "I think it's probably a specialty of theirs," she remarked. "Anyway, let's go join them - we'll need to swap notes, then go after that Saren person."

"That's not going to be easy," Nihlus remarked. "He's a Spectre like I am, but he DID try to kill me, so that'll work against him. Here's hoping your ship can stop the Geth from escaping, as well as Saren." Oh, how little he knew.

The two groups then converged. "Good to see you're alright, Nihlus," Shepard remarked.

"Likewise. Mind introducing me to your friends?" One of the group looked at the Starfleet personnel, VERY confused. "That's not Alliance issue and I've never seen any of you before."

"Commander Linda Allster-Yamato, from the Federation Starship _Raging Tempest_," Linda replied. "Not enough time for the full run-down, but I'll try to sum up what most likely happened as best I can: Any of you familiar with the concept of parallel universes?"

Nihlus looked at Linda, then Shepard and back again. The humans clearly had some idea, although they were just as disbelieving as he was. He'd never even heard of that concept before. "Could someone please explain what that means?"

"It's a long story, and we don't exactly have time to tell it, Nihlus," Shepard informed. "What happened?"

"I came across another Spectre," Nihlus replied. "Saren, one of the best. Though apparently he's gone rogue, because he tried to kill me by shooting me in the back - Commander Allster-Yamato here kept him from doing that - and he seems to be working with the Geth."

"Well, we've got a name for those robots now," Linda remarked. "We might as well help you on your mission: that's kind of why we were sent down here in the first place."

"The more the merrier, Commander," Shepard replied. "Follow us."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- Eden Prime orbit (BGM: Hell March from **_**Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3**_**) (brackets indicate time placement)**_

* * *

[00:00]

"Captain, they're not responding to hails," the Tactical Officer, an Andorian female named Corpsa, reported. "Phasers are fully armed, but the capacitors won't last long without main power."

"That's fine, Lieutenant," Ron replied. "Lock onto the closest target and unleash hell."

[00:26]

The Ra-Cailum's phaser array fired a beam of red-orange nadion particle energy at a Geth destroyer, their kinetic barriers unable to take the strain of a two-second barrage before the titanium-armored warship was hacked in half before it exploded.

"Whoops," Ron remarked. "Fire at will."

[00:46]

Two more destroyers vectored to intercept, but the Ra-Cailum easily hacked them apart with minimal effort before focusing on a large cruiser.

"It's like we're fighting children," Ron said. "See if we can't disable one of them."

[01:30]

The Sovereign-Class ship fired two beams at a Geth destroyer, effectively removing it from play before cutting another one in half, leaving the power core intact.

"Captain, there's a large ship moving to intercept us," Corpsa reported. "It's a lot more powerful then the others."

Ron nodded to acknowledge Corpsa's report. "On screen," he ordered

[01:45 onwards]

The ship looked a little bit like a squid, though with only five tentacles instead of ten. It also looked decidedly evil.

"Even the Klingons have better taste in starship design," Ron remarked. "Fire phasers. I want that ship disabled."

The 685 meter long Ra-Cailum fired at the squid, as Ron quickly coined the ship. The 'shields' held up slightly better than the Geth, but the phasers still made contact with the hull, forming massive scars on the ship's hull.

"Phaser power down to 50%, Captain!" Corpsa reported. "Should I start using the torpedoes?"

"Negative," Ron replied. "Continue phaser fire. These people use titanium for hull plating: a photon would destroy the ship."

The squid quickly made its escape, though the Phasers continued carving into its hull, even slicing off a tentacle before it escaped into Mass Effect-Based FTL.

"THAT'S going to leave a mark," Ron remarked. "Sonja, Mitod, work on the dilithium issue: I want this ship at full power before we have to leave again."

The _Ra-Cailum's_ chief engineer, Sonja Henderson, mockingly saluted before dragging her Orion assistant into the turbolift in order to fix their dilithium crystal problem.

"Corpsa, open a channel to the ground team: put me through to Commander Yamato."

"Yes, sir," she replied, before setting up the channel. "Channel open."

"Commander Yamato, this is Captain Pinkerton: how's the situation on the ground? Can I have my Peregrines back?"

"_We've cleared most of the attackers - and apparently they're called Geth,_" Linda reported. "_Still one problem, though: the leader of this attack, someone named Saren, is headed to the Spaceport after something important - we're in pursuit in conjunction with forces from the _Normandy."

Ron scowled. "Send the coordinates to us," he ordered. "I'll send a team to stop him before he escapes. Corpsa, take weapons offline and prep an away team. We'll beam down there and take this asshole out." Unlike the _Raging Tempest_, the _Ra-Cailum_ still had excess amounts of power to use, so they could afford to use the transporters. "Riza, you're in command until I get back." His sister and helmsman nodded back as he left the bridge, heading to the transporter room.

* * *

_**Eden Prime - Spaceport**_

* * *

The Cargo Train carrying Saren arrived at the Spaceport, and he stepped off amidst a crowd of Geth Troopers. Approaching one, he said, "Set the charges. Destroy the entire colony. Leave no evidence that we were here."

That said, he then stepped up to the Prothean Beacon, and was lifted into the air as the Beacon gave him its knowledge…

Seconds later, the sound of energy gained the attention of the Geth as five humans, all armed with oddly shaped rifles, appeared out of nowhere. One of them raised his weapon toward Saren, who dropped to the ground shortly after they appeared. "Hey, cockbite!"

Saren barely had a chance to blink as he was hit with a bolt of orange-red energy, knocking him back.

The human blinked. "Thought that would knock your ass down," he said. "Higher setting, then."

Saren ran as the human began firing his rifle at the Turian, barely missing with each shot. "Get back here, you asshole!"

Unfortunately for the human, Saren managed to escape, a small ship quickly carrying him away from Eden Prime. At around the same time, the second cargo train pulled up, allowing the _Normandy_ and _Raging Tempest_ teams to enter the spaceport.

Kaidan saw the object first. "Demolition Charges!" he called out. "The Geth must have planted them!"

"Hurry!" Ashley said. "We have to find them all and shut them down!"

Ron sighed before firing his phaser rifle at the charge, vaporizing it. "Yamato, set those weapons to maximum: we don't have time to learn how to disarm the damn things! Gentlemen, clear the way!"

"Aye, sir!"

The Ra-Cailum security team split off, heading in different directions as Ron approached Linda. "Report."

"From what I've been told, the Geth are what these people call 'synthetics'," Linda replied. "Artificial life created several hundred years ago by a race known as the Quarians. They were meant to serve as menial labor, but became self-aware and rebelled, driving the Quarians off of their homeworld. The Geth territory is in an area called the Perseus Veil, and no ship that goes in ever comes out. The Geth themselves haven't emerged from the Veil in over two hundred years, so their appearing to attack a colony world like this is surprising just about all the locals."

"Like us detecting a stealth ship or ripping apart aforementioned Geth fleet," Ron commented.

The _Normandy_ party all looked at Ron in shock. "What?" he asked.

"Detecting the _Normandy_ aside, how could you 'rip apart' a Geth Fleet?" Shepard asked. "Just who are you people?"

Ron hefted the type-3 mod 2 phaser rifle onto his shoulder before smiling. "Captain Ronald Pinkerton, commanding officer of the United Federation of Planets starship _Ra-Cailum_. Anything else, you'll have to wait for, miss…?"

Before Shepard could introduce herself, she looked over Ron's shoulder to see Ashley approaching the Beacon. She could see the Beacon start to pulse with light, and it seemed to start drawing Ashley in. Shepard bolted forward, brushing past Ron as she ran up to Ashley, grabbed her, and threw her away from the Beacon… though this meant that now Shepard was caught in its 'pull'.

"Oh, fucking wonderful: psionic technology! I thought we wouldn't have to deal with this shit after Camus II!" Ron set his phaser rifle to maximum power with truly automatic fire, intending to destroy the beacon and reduce it to subatomic pieces. He took aim and opened fire.

The Beacon disintegrated after about five hits, but it had already deposited its knowledge into Shepard's mind, and she collapsed to the deck, unconscious.

Nihlus ran up to her, checking on her condition. "She's alright, just unconscious," he informed. "We need to get her to a medbay, though, just to make sure the Beacon didn't do any mental damage."

The Starfleet officer sighed. "Best place is the Ra-Cailum's sickbay: we've got more experience dealing with this shit." Ron tapped his comm badge. "Pinkerton to Ra-Cailum: seven to beam directly to sick bay."

As the rest of the _Normandy_ party wondered who Ron was talking to, and what he meant by 'Beam', they, along with Ron and Linda, vanished from the planet's surface in columns of light.

They reappeared in a room that reminded them of the Normandy's medical bay, but FAR more advanced, from the look of things. A woman with spots on her head, descending downward through her 2373-era uniform, walked in from the office to the side. "Well, this is new," the woman said. "Never seen one of him before."

"Rutia, you've got a patient," Ron reported. "I suggest you get to work."

She noticed Shepard's unconscious body on the deck. "I see," she said. "Someone help me get her on a biobed!"

As some other crewmen came in to help Rutia lift Shepard onto a biobed, Nihlus looked around. "This is… amazing," he said. "More advanced than any Systems Alliance or Citadel medical facility… are you from the future or something?"

"Or something," Linda replied. "Judging by your reaction when I mentioned it earlier, I presume you haven't heard of the concept of alternate universes."

Nihlus nodded. "Turians are very military in tradition," he said. "We focus on what we can see and leave the thinking to Salarians. I wouldn't be surprised if they knew."

"We came up with the idea back in the 1920s and discarded it as an interesting piece of storytelling, but that's it!" Kaidan remarked.

Ron and Linda shared a look before saying three words. "You fucking wish."

Linda then turned to Nihlus again. "OK, short, simple version with example: Presume you went to a restaurant for breakfast, with multiple items on the menu for you to choose from. You choose one item. Somewhere out there, is another universe, another timeline, where you chose a different item on that menu. This applies to every choice that has ever been made - there is a timeline that exists for each option in that choice, and the resulting consequences. We come from one of these alternates, but there's likely been quite a few splits between ours and yours."

"Here's one that'll give you nightmares: a universe where humans conquered their area of the galaxy and basically ran a totalitarian empire that conquers everything that gets in their way. Believe me, that's not just a possibility: we've run into that universe."

Nihlus blinked. "I… see…" he said. "Well, that's definitely a new one to me…"

"A wise person once said: 'The truth is stranger than fiction'," Linda remarked. "Of course, said wise person had no idea just how right he was."

"We'll beam you back to your ship as soon as your CO is awake," Ron informed. "Gives us time to repair our power core, at least: we're running off aux power, and I'd rather have warp drive back before we go home."

Nihlus blinked at that. "Warp drive?" he asked. "Is that your form of FTL?"

Before Linda could give them an abridged answer, Ron covered her mouth. "Prime Directive, Commander: we tell them nothing about our technology." He sighed before removing his hand and facing the natives. "Our story is going to be a bitch to explain, and I'd rather say it to the leaders in your government, just to get the message across. Is that fair?"

Nihlus nodded. "It is - I'll need to get to the Citadel anyway, to report that Saren's gone rogue, as well as the loss of the beacon - and no matter what it was doing, you shouldn't have destroyed it, Captain."

"Why not?" Linda asked. "I gather that Captain Pinkerton is rather pragmatic about these things, so I would like to know why he shouldn't have destroyed it."

The woman with the sword spoke up then. "It wasn't one of ours - it belonged to an ancient race known as the Protheans," she said. "They apparently vanished 50,000 years ago, but they left remnants all over the place - just about everything used in our galaxy is based on Prothean Technology in some form."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I'll give you access to our database, with restricted access, so you don't try to download anything important. History files for the most part. Starfleet's had a LOT of run-ins with psionic technology in the past: ALL hostile. I did what my training told me to do."

Nihlus nodded. "I can understand that, even if I don't necessarily agree with it," he replied. "Still, if you use a different form of FTL… are there no Mass Relays in your universe?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, and I can't answer any questions relating to our technology," Ron informed

"Why not?" Nihlus asked.

"Starfleet General Order One: 'Starfleet officers are forbidden to interfere in the development, be it social, technological or otherwise, of a culture'. It is our highest law, punishable by everything but the death penalty."

The woman with the sword spoke up again. "Sounds like a policy the Salarians should have had when dealing with the Krogans," she said. "I mean, between uplifting them into society and hitting them with the genophage, they 'interfered' rather heavily…"

The doctor walked back over, grabbing several medical tools. "Remind me to take a look at this 'genophage' later. Might be able to do something about it. Not that you'll LET me, but I know you LOVE the condom rule."

"If you are able to do something about the Genophage, I know the Krogans'll love you for it," the woman with the sword remarked. "I'd like something done about it, too - messing with a species' fertility rates is just _**wrong**_, especially when you're taking one that breeds like rabbits and making them _**not**_ breed like rabbits. They're a very violent race, always going into battle, so their high birth rate kept things in check… with the genophage, though, their numbers are plummeting."

The two Starfleet officers facepalmed before Ron tapped his commbadge again. "Pinkerton to Henderson: do we have main power back, yet?"

"_Just a minute, boss,_" Sonja's voice replied. "_No, THAT one goes there, THIS one goes here!_" Suddenly, the lights lit up to full intensity. "_There! Warp drive and main power are back online! Now, I'm going to go take a look at one of those ships out there._"

"Have fun," Ron replied. "Pinkerton out." He tapped it again to shut it off. "Well, feel free to walk about the ship," he said to their guests. "If there's a locked door, it's shut for a good fucking reason. Am I clear?"

They nodded.

"I should get back to the ground," Linda said. "Get back to the rest of my team, then get back to our shuttle once the Spaceport is cleared - don't want to leave the shuttle behind, after all."

"You DO realize I could have it beamed back to your ship." A common thought was that things larger than a living being could not be transported. That was wrong, as shuttlecraft were often beamed back to their ships if they couldn't fly back up for any reason. The most memorable attempt to do so involved the Enterprise-D, although that was foiled by the Q.

"Well, that could work, too," Linda said after a moment. "Should still return to my team on the ground, or if they're done clearing explosives, get back to my own ship."

"I presume you know the way to the transporter room?" Ron asked.

"Standard _Sovereign_-Class ship," Linda replied with a smile. "Hard not to know."

"Have fun on the ground," Ron said. "I'll go check in with my chief engineer. God knows I don't get enough work around here." Ron left sick bay, leaving the Alliance team and the Spectre to their own devices.

The three Alliance soldiers and the Turian Spectre looked at each other. "So…" the woman with the sword began, "we need to have someone get back to the _Normandy_ to fill in Captain Anderson, someone to take a look around, someone to get back to the ground and help clearing the charges, and someone to stay here and keep an eye on Shepard. Who wants what?"

Nihlus made the decision to take a look around the ship. "That answers that," the woman remarked. "Gunny, keep an eye on the Commander. Alenko, you head back to the ground. I'll report back to Captain Anderson."

"Yes, Ma'am," they replied, as the group split up, the woman with the sword and Kaidan getting guides to the Transporter Room.

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy**

* * *

David Anderson wasn't expecting a column of light to deposit one of his N7s on the bridge. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

Hitomi shrugged. "Those guys have some very interesting technology, Captain," she said. "I mean, they've got beam weapons, point-to-point transportation systems, and what looks like medical technology far more advanced than our own."

Anderson blinked at that list. "Do you think they can give us some of that technology?" He wasn't a pro-humanist, but anything that improved life in the galaxy period he was all for.

"Well, the guy in charge of the large ship certainly wouldn't allow it," she replied. "Apparently their government has a policy against interfering societally and technologically with another culture, and he seems to be the type to stick to the regs like glue. If we want any of it, we might need to find someone who plays more fast and loose."

Anderson sighed. "What about Shepard? How is she?"

"Unconscious," Hitomi reported. "The medics on the big ship - the captain called it the _Ra-Cailum_ - are patching her up. They've got some experience with this kind of technology, although I don't think they use ME or Eezo at all."

Anderson nodded. He'd gotten a brief report of what had happened on the ground with the Beacon before they'd been taken to the other ship. "So, do you know where they came from?" he asked.

"According to them, an alternate universe," Hitomi said. "And yes, I know that sounds far-fetched, but they didn't have any Turians, Asari, Salarians, Quarians, Krogan, or any of the races we know onboard, and they had several races I couldn't identify. Add in the fact they don't use Eezo, or ME-based tech, and the alternate universe theory does make a decent degree of sense."

"Damn. We're going to need to get to the Citadel to make our report about this. Can those ships go with us? I need to know if they can use the mass relays."

"Without Eezo, I don't think they can, but the fact they have their own form of FTL means it might be faster than what we use to get around within a system, when not using a Relay," Hitomi replied. "Nihlus needs to make a report, too - the one leading the attack wasn't a Geth - he was a Turian. Nihlus called him Saren."

Anderson scowled, and tried to restrain himself from making an outburst. He knew Saren, and that meant he couldn't be objective about this, truth or not.

"He tried to kill Nihlus, but a team saved him before he got the chance," Hitomi continued. "I think that'll work in our favor."

"Good," Anderson replied. "I want a status report from our teams on the ground before we head out. Get our people back on the _Normandy_, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

Matt had been quite the Miracle Worker, getting the Warp Core back online shortly after Sonja had on the _Ra-Cailum_, but with much fewer staff compared to the engineer of the _Sovereign_-Class Ship. So, by the time the charges were all cleared from the Spaceport, the _Cyclone_ was beamed back into the Shuttlebay, and the ground team was ready to beam back.

Takeshi met them all in the Transporter Room. "Welcome back, everyone, and good work," he said. "Heard that things got rather hectic down there.

"Hectic was right," Linda replied. "I'll fill you in more thoroughly later, but we should start getting ready to go - they'll be needing to go to a place they call the Citadel to make a report, and I think Captain Pinkerton is wanting to go along."

"Right," Takeshi replied. "Speaking of Captain Pinkerton, what's your impression of him?"

"He's a decent guy, but focused on the regs," she replied. "Brought up the Prime Directive a few times, and didn't seem to like people who violated it for any reason." She paused. "Seems uptight enough that I think he might need a girlfriend."

Takeshi chuckled a little bit. Linda knew what she was talking about - _**she**_ had been rather uptight on regs before she'd started her relationship with Takeshi. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there," he said. "I'll have Matt double-check everything, make sure we're ready to go whenever the others are ready. See you in our quarters tonight?"

"Sure," Linda replied, with a bit of a sultry grin. "See you then."

They all headed out of the Transporter Room at that point, Takeshi heading to the Bridge while Linda and her team headed down to the Armory to store their equipment.

When he arrived, the comm station was indicating they were hailed by the _Ra-Cailum_. Clearly, Ron wanted to tell them something.

Takeshi went over to the Comm station, activating it. "_Raging Tempest_ here," Takeshi said. "What's up?"

"_Sonja's run an analysis of the power cores from the Geth ships,_" Ron informed. "_We can use them to connect to this 'mass relay' network in order to get across the galaxy. While I'm sure we can make quick warp jumps, I'd rather keep our true capabilities in the dark._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "Send over one of these power cores, and instructions for how to link them to our ships - I'll get Matt on installing them right away. You informed the locals about this?"

"_I don't think they didn't notice them being beaming onto the _Ra-Cailum," Ron said. "_I'll have one of the modded cores beamed to your ship once the modifications are complete._"

"We'll be waiting for them," Takeshi informed. "_Raging Tempest_, out."

"_We'll have it ready in a few hours. I'll have an engineering crew ready to begin the installation when it's done. _Ra-Cailum _out._" The transmission ended, and Takeshi looked out the viewscreen. Strange new worlds and plenty of new civilizations.

Takeshi may have been more warrior than explorer, having been raised under the traditions of the Japanese Samurai, but he was definitely looking forward to seeing what this new universe had to offer.

* * *

**Ron the True Fan: Bet you didn't see this coming. **

**Takeshi Yamato: There have been a few Trek/ME Crossovers out there, and I have wanted to try one, but when you count all the stories I'm working on with Ron, 117Jorn, DragonKnightRyu, Patriot-112, Titanic-X, and Xamusel, we have a backlog the size of Kentucky. That's not even counting the Beta Work I do for CSS. Stravag!**

**Ron the True Fan: But we've got a bit of a problem: Jorn is busy working with his new job, so we can't work on fics like STF. So, well…**

**Takeshi Yamato: We had to do something that didn't involve Jorn - backlog or no backlog. It was Ron's idea to do an STO/ME Crossover, so here we are.**

**Ron the True Fan: Same rules as STF: we're following the rules of the TV series instead of the game, which makes our job much easier. You know what that means from me: more Trek history trivia!**

**Takeshi Yamato: There will be some things we borrow from STO - Attack Patterns, firing patterns, and some of the different ground weapon types. Think of it as a… blend… of the TV series and the game.**

**Ron the true fan: Prepare for the Anderson Treatment! Until then...**

**Both: Ja Ne!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Death of Innocence

Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!

Takeshi Yamato: We also don't own Mass Effect, or anything else that might make a cameo in this story… what can I say, I love importing things from other franchises and tweaking them to fit the destination! It still belongs to whomever created it, though.

* * *

_**Eden Prime orbit - USS Ra-Cailum**_

* * *

Sonja had outdone herself with this. Sure, it was less powerful than the warp core of everything but shuttlecraft, but it was enough to connect to the mass relay at the edge of the system. She had already completed one and installed it on the _Ra-Cailum_, and she was getting the second one ready for use on the _Raging Tempest_. "Henderson to _Tempest_," she said. "I've got a BFPE here ready for beaming!"

"_BFPE?_" came the voice of the _Raging Tempest's_ Communications/Ops Officer, Rina Nuras, in confused reply. "_What the heck does BFPE stand for?_"

"Big Fucking Piece of Equipment!" Sonja elaborated. "I've placed a transponder on the damn thing, so beam it into a clear space. I'll be there in a minute to help you boys install it: it took me a while to get the particulars down. This thing isn't compatible with our EPS systems, so you'll need my help."

"_Understood,_" Rina replied. "_We'll get it beamed over ASAP._" A few moments later, the device disappeared in a swirling column of light.

The chief engineer sighed, slightly angry about the element zero core's incompatibility with their EPS technology. She had to rig a compatible medium just to get it to work properly with Starfleet technology. She walked out of the retrofit cargo bay, heading for a transporter room to beam onto the _Tempest_.

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

When Sonja beamed over, she was met by Matt, the _Raging Tempest_'s Chief Engineer. "Glad to see you over here," he said to her. "Been a while since I worked on anything as unusual as what you sent over."

Sonja unzipped her black and grey uniform jacket before taking it off and placing it on a chair. "Getting it working again was easy," she said. "Making it work with our technology was a pain in the ass: it took me three hours to find something that would be compatible. good thing I know what I'm doing now: we'll be done in 20 minutes, then we'll be heading for this 'Citadel' we keep hearing about."

"That's good," Matt replied. "From some of what I've heard, it's supposedly the center of their government… though that seems like it isn't safe - putting your government on a space station means there's all sorts of dangers."

"GR1, Lt. Commander," Sonja replied. "My CO loves reminding us that there's not a damn thing we can do to convince another government to do things our way. 'We are not the ancient United States of America. We don't impose our will on other nationstates just because we want to'."

"Yeah, I know," Matt replied. "Captain Pinkerton seems like a real stickler for the regs… Commander Allster-Yamato was like that too, for a while."

"He's not a stickler for the regs," Sonja informed. "Just the Prime Directive. He's a student of history. Merik, Tracy, Jameson, Rozhenko: look what happened to them after they broke the Directive. Exiled, dead or imprisoned. He doesn't want that to happen to anyone under his command."

Matt nodded. "Makes sense, I guess," he said. "But yeah, when she first signed on with the crew, back when the _Raging Tempest_ was the _Tempest_, Commander Allster-Yamato - then Lieutenant Allster - was a real stickler for making sure things were done by the book, even when the book was flawed, or took more time than improvising. Then again, being the daughter of a Councilman probably played a role in that."

Sonja opened a panel that allowed her access to the EPS grid. "He'll bend the living fuck out of them if need be," she said, "but he will not break the Prime Directive. Not unless he's given a good fucking reason, and even then, it will need to be a big one." She connected a conduit to the EPS relay before hooking it up to an odd-looking conversion device.

"Gotcha," Matt replied, as he helped make the connections. "Well, hopefully he won't have need to. Still, this is definitely going to be an adventure - just hope we'll be able to make enough Quantum Torpedoes to last - Captain Yamato always prefers the damage output they give compared to Photons, and if he's faced with a cluster of enemies, he won't hesitate to launch a Full Spread. He also likes to volley them against single targets."

Sonja scoffed. "Wasteful," she said. "The _Ra-Cailum_'s got the facilities to make the torpedoes, seeing as we're a deep space first-response ship, but he's going to have to get used to using photon torpedoes. Besides, from what I've seen, even the photons are going to be overkill here: their shields, which are useless against our phasers, would probably buckle against ONE torpedo." She connected another conduit to the Geth core, which lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Right," Matt replied. "Well, that'll definitely be interesting." He then looked over the readouts. "Everything looks green from what I can see - think we're ready to go."

Sonja slammed her hand on a control panel. "Henderson to bridge: new power core is online! We are free and clear to use the mass relay!"

"_Understood,_" Takeshi replied. "_And just in time, too - looks like the _Normandy _and _Ra-Cailum _are getting ready to head out. Thanks for the help, Henderson._"

"Hey, I'm just an engineer: miracles are our job! I'll head back to my ship. Just don't break the damn thing: I'm not making any house calls until I work out the kinks on the one on the _Ra-Cailum_!" She tapped her commbadge before she disappeared in a transporter beam.

Soon, the three ships approached the giant Mass Relay. The _Normandy_ went first, lightning crackling from the Relay over the ship before shooting it off to the Citadel Relay. After that came the _Ra-Cailum_, then the _Raging Tempest_.

The three ships emerged in a nebula, cruising through it for a few minutes before the Citadel came into view.

On the Bridge of the _Raging Tempest_, Takeshi whistled. "That's something you don't see every day," he said.

"So large," Kim reported from Sensors. "That thing's over three times the size of ESD!"

"And the five outer panels can close up into an impenetrable shell for defense, as well," Brok'tan, the Klingon XO, said from what would normally be the Captain's Chair if Takeshi didn't like commanding from the helm.

"And apparently it was built by the same people who made the Mass Relays and most of the tech found in this universe," Matt commented. "Whoever they were, they didn't think small."

"_Still tiny, people: that thing is a speck compared to the Dyson Spheres._" Ron did have a point. The Jenolan and Solanae Dyson Spheres were 4 AU in diameter: the Citadel was TINY compared to those giants.

"Got it," Takeshi replied. He then spotted a ship nearby. "Hey, Captain Pinkerton are you seeing that ship?" he asked. "Big, graceful, looks like it's got a giant hole in the middle?"

"_Reminds me of a sunfish,_" Ron replied. "_IFF reads out as _Destiny Ascension_. Oh, fuck: she's locking weapons on us._"

"Us, too," Kim reported. "We're being lit up by multiple ships in the area."

"Tholra, raise shields, but don't do anything with the weapons," Takeshi ordered. "Don't want to provoke them, but don't want to risk getting taken out with a surprise attack, either." He paused for a moment, even as the Xindi-Reptilian carried out his orders. "Here's hoping they'll take the _Normandy's_ words that we're friendly."

A moment passed while the Alliance ship spoke with the defense fleet, but they weren't backing down. "_This is Commodore Ronald Pinkerton of the Federation Starship _Ra-Cailum," Ron said over the Comms. "_Either stand down or I will take your actions as hostile and respond accordingly! I have no desire to start a shooting war, but I'll fire if you even THINK of pulling those triggers!_"

Takeshi agreed with Ron's statement - he didn't want to start a war with another government in another universe, but he would defend himself if necessary.

"_This is the _Destiny Ascension," came the reply. "_With respect, Commodore, your ships don't look like they're armed at all._"

A phaser beam shot out from the Ra-Cailum's dorsal array, scoring a glancing hit on the Ascension's shields, downing them in one shot. "_You were saying?_"

Takeshi shook his head. He didn't need to shoot directly at them - a miss into the nebula itself would certainly have done the trick as a warning shot.

"…_Ok, you made your point,_" the reply from the _Ascension_ came. "_Docking ports 423 and 224 are open. you are cleared, _Ra-Cailum." Either the glancing shot scared the shit out of them, or the fact that it was accurate enough to down the shields without damaging the ship itself was enough to make them think twice about fighting the two ships.

Takeshi sighed a little bit in relief as they moved towards the giant station. Though, there was likely going to be a slight problem when it came to docking. His ship was small enough it could fit in an atmospheric environment, though they'd likely have to get creative securing the docking tunnel. The _Ra Cailum_, though, was much larger - and Takeshi wasn't sure they'd find a place to park it without needing to place it in a parking orbit.

The _Sovereign_-Class ship's shields activated, reshaping them into an aerodynamic form that made the ship more than capable of flying inside the atmosphere of a planet as the ship narrowly entered the tunnel, heading for the next docking port, which was barely large enough for the 685 meter long starship.

Soon enough, the two ships were parked, as was the _Normandy_, and Takeshi and Ron, with their First Officers, were soon joining Nihlus as they made their way to meet with the Citadel Council.

* * *

_**Citadel Presidium - Council chambers**_

* * *

"This is insanity! One of those ships took out the kinetic barriers on the Destiny Ascension: what's stopping them from just destroying everything here if we don't give them the answer they want?!"

"Spectre Nihlus' initial reports said they were friendly," the Asari Councilor reminded. "The commander of that one ship must have simply gotten impatient and annoyed with the guns pointed at him - which you really can't blame them for."

The Turian wasn't happy about that truth, but who could blame him? That one ship did what would take half a fleet of turian dreadnoughts an hour to do in one shot. His racial pride had taken a MAJOR blow.

"We still need to confirm their intentions here," the Salarian Councilor informed. "The Citadel Alliance could benefit from having them as a member, but only if they wish it."

"Agreed," the Turian Councilor replied. "And then there's the matter of Saren. With Nihlus' reports, we have no choice but to revoke Saren's Spectre status and send someone after him - but Citadel Security isn't equipped enough to deal with him. We'll need to send Nihlus, and possibly another Spectre, after him, but if we can enlist the help of these newcomers, that would be beneficial."

"I will need to confirm their story," the Asari Councilor informed. "I propose that I touch the minds of the captains, ascertain the truth from their thoughts. After that… we will see."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- portside airlock**_

* * *

Ron adjusted what he referred to as his dress uniform: a 2279-2350 era brick red jacket with a white turtleneck and a buckle made in the emblem of Starfleet. The only thing breaking the illusion was the 2373-era commbadge. "So, why are we wearing dress uniforms?" Sonja asked.

"First contact procedure," Ron replied. "Wear your best, impress the people you make contact with. It also gives me the excuse to wear this thing." Sonja raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. As per regs, all of them were armed with type-2 phasers, with a hidden surprise up their sleeves. Literally: they carried the tiny type-1 phaser up their right sleeves. Called the 'cricket' because they were so damn tiny, no one but covert ops personnel used them much after 2365.

When the Airlock doors opened, Nihlus waited for them in his armor, along with Shepard and the woman with the sword. Takeshi, Brok'tan, and Linda were also there, wearing the 'Odyssey Dress' Uniforms that were becoming standard fare these days: Light gray jacket with gold trim and white shoulders, a stripe of their division color (Tactical Red in all three cases) between the shoulder and main portion, with an undershirt of the same color, and pants and shoes the same color as the main jacket, though a stripe in their division color ran up the side of each leg. Takeshi also had a nonstandard addition to his uniform - a Katana Sword was in its sheathe, hooked up to the left side of his belt. "Well, Commodore, ready to say hi to the local head honchos?" Takeshi asked.

"You know, I only used that to show which of us was kinda in charge," Ron informed. Takeshi knew what regulation he was talking about: Regulation 191, Article 14, which, in a combat situation involving more than one ship, had command fall to the vessel with tactical superiority, should there not be a higher ranking officer present. The Ra-cailum was the more heavily armed ship, even if Takeshi didn't want to admit it. "Still, I won't step on your toes unless I need to. Please don't make me need to."

"Sure thing," Takeshi replied. "Actually, mind if I call you Ron? Never was all that much for formality."

"Not a problem. Let's go meet the brass and see what we can do without breaking every rule in the book."

Nihlus nodded. "Alright, if you'll all follow me, I'll guide you to the Presidium, and from there to the Citadel Tower."

The two senior staffs, along with the two Alliance N7s, followed the Turian Spectre into an elevator, which took them downwards. "Nice station," Ron said. "We've seen bigger. How long did it take to build?"

"No clue," Nihlus admitted. "We didn't make it - the Protheans did, just like the Relays. The Asari were the first to discover it, then they allied with the Salarians. The Turian Hierarchy was the last of the 'big three' races to join the alliance, and an elected official from each of those three races - sometimes called the 'Council Races' meet at the top of the Citadel Tower. They are the ruling body of the galaxy - the Citadel Council."

"Ever since we joined Citadel Space some thirty years ago, Humanity's come a long way," Hitomi, the woman with the sword, informed. "We even have our own Embassy here, like most of the other races that are part of Citadel Space, but not the Council. We've been wanting a bit more say, though - the first step was nominating Nicole here for the Spectres." she indicated Shepard as she said that last bit.

"Indeed," Nihlus replied. "However, Lieutenant, after seeing recordings of what you did on Eden Prime, and going over your own record, I felt it prudent to nominate _**you**_ for the Spectres, as well."

Hitomi's eyes widened at that declaration. "M-me?" she asked.

"Kind of what we do with prospective member worlds," Ron remarked. "We give them a chance to enter Starfleet Academy. Of course, once they join the Federation, the member race is automatically given a new seat on the Federation Ruling Council. Gives them a say in how the Federation should be run."

"I see," Nihlus remarked. "An interesting concept… still, just how many worlds are a part of the Federation?"

"Over 150, spread across 8000 light years, and that's homeworlds: we usually don't include colonies in that number. Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites were founding members of the Federation, with the Trill, Betazoids, Bolians, Bajorans and several others joining over the next two 've even got members of nations that don't want to join as members of Starfleet, too: the Klingons, mostly."

The locals all blinked. "So many different worlds, and in such a small area," Nihlus remarked. "Then again, without instantaneous FTL like the Relays, you would be limited by distance."

"That's part of it," Takeshi informed. "The other part is that the Federation isn't the only power in our galaxy. There's the Cardassian Union, though they're rebuilding after a war over 30 years ago nearly destroyed them, the Klingon Empire, which the Federation has had alternating states of war and peace with, having just recently ended the latest period of war, the Ferengi Alliance, and remnants of the Romulan Star Empire, which suffered serious losses over 20 years ago when their homeworld was destroyed. They've split into two main camps: those that want to return to their glory days, and the Romulan Republic, which seek a new beginning. And that's only in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, where the Federation primarily resides. There's also the Gamma and Delta Quadrants, where plenty of other races make their home… though one race from the Delta Quadrant has made moves into our territory for a while… the Borg."

"Borg?" Shepard asked. "Sounds Swedish."

The Starfleet personnel turned their heads toward her with a simple look. "You. Fucking. Wish."

"The Borg are cybernetic, though primarily more machine than flesh," Takeshi informed. "They run on a hive mind, often manifested in and controlled by a Queen. They have only one goal: Assimilate all life into themselves, adding the technological and biological distinctiveness of each race they assimilate into their collective. We were fighting a Borg fleet when we were transported here through a rift in space-time - I only hope that the Borg weren't brought to this Universe, too."

"Knowing our luck - mostly mine - they came through as well," Ron said. "I just hope we don't get fucked for this." The elevator came to a stop, and the team arrived at the presidium.

Nihlus led them across the Presidium, pointing out important locations like the Embassies and Financial District. As they passed the Embassies, Shepard and Hitomi noticed Captain Anderson on one of the balconies, with Kaidan and Ashley there, too. They also saw the Human Ambassador on the Citadel, Udina, talking to the three soldiers.

"…get a chance to look at their weapons?" Udina was asking. "How did they work? What happened when the Geth were shot?"

"We didn't see them fighting the Geth," Kaidan informed, "but one of them used his weapon to destroy the Prothean beacon. It had to be VERY powerful to do that, Ambassador."

"Indeed," Udina replied. "And you said that it fired energy blasts? We've never…" his voice trailed off as they passed out of earshot.

"Sounds like we're making a stir with your government, at least, Shepard, Lieutenant," Takeshi remarked.

"Call me Hitomi," Hitomi said. "Like you, I'm not much for formality."

"Alright," Takeshi replied. "Still, that was an interesting conversation to partially eavesdrop on."

"They aren't going to like me later," Ron said as he smirked. "Not that I care."

After another elevator ride, they finally arrived before the Council. "Spectre Nihlus, welcome back to the Citadel."

"Thank you very much," Nihlus replied. "May I present Commander Nicole Shepard and Lieutenant Hitomi Yamato of the Systems Alliance, as well as Commodore Ronald Pinkerton and Captain Takeshi Yamato, the captains of the two ships that arrived during the battle of Eden Prime, and the ranking members of their respective command staffs."

Ron chuckled at the use of his self-inflicted title. "The rank of Commodore doesn't really exist anymore," he said. "I just used it as a way to bear my teeth without actually hurting anyone. Still, maybe you should work on your first contact procedures next time, like HAILING the ships instead of simply locking weapons on them. Makes getting along with the new people SO much easier."

"Perhaps," the Salarian Councilor replied. "Before we go any further, we must ensure the validity of your claims of being from another universe. My esteemed Asari counterpart here has volunteered to do so."

"Ooh. Lie detector test. I'll volunteer for this one. Should be fun." The grin on Ron's face was rather unnerving, but the Asari left the podium, walking over to the red-wearing captain.

"Not quite a lie detector as you are used to, Captain," she said. "All Asari can perform something called 'melding'. An Asari can link their mind to another's, letting one see the other's thoughts."

"Almost sounds like a Vulcan Mind Meld," Takeshi remarked.

She blinked at the similarity, but moved onward. "Captain, do you have a problem with this?" she asked.

"Nope," Ron replied. "I've had Vulcans meld with me before. Let's get 'er done, shall we?"

"Very well," the Asari Councilor replied, before she took hold of Ron's hands. Her eyes went completely black as she whispered, "Embrace Eternity."

* * *

_**Ron's Mindscape**_

* * *

Tevos wasn't expecting this. Simple metal grating, alcoves of some kind, consoles with a green and yellow script attached to junctions and a simple feeling of heat permeated the mind. "You know, the last time this happened, I went through the WORST experience in my life," Ron said.

She looked over, seeing him in his more usual uniform in this mental representation. "So, this mindscape reflects something that happened to you?" she asked. "It's not very often that one even _**has**_ a mindscape."

"Oh, yeah. even got a souvenir from my little experience. He just won't leave." A red laser made contact with Tevos' form, and when she followed the source, she discovered the form of another Ron, only wearing some kind of body armor with cybernetic implants sticking out of his body. His skin was pale, and his eyes were hollow. There was also no hair on his head: an odd feature for the black-blonde human.

"_We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own._"

"He's ALWAYS like that," Ron said. "Don't know how he popped up: the councillors said he's a part of my mind I just can't accept. Then again, how can you come to terms with being ripped of all that you are and turned into a machine?"

"Machine?" Tevos asked, before she saw.

Images appeared before her. Giant Cubes. Smaller Spheres and rectangular ships. Beings just like the other Ron, of a multitude of races. Whole Planets, mechanized.

All throughout, one phrase, repeating ad infinitum.

"_We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to your own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is Futile._"

The Asari was stupefied into silence. "You know, in forty years, the Borg have been a MASSIVE pain in the ass," Ron informed. "They've tried assimilating Earth on no less then three occasions, and they take everything from you if they get your hands on you." The images returned, only this time, they were through someone else's eyes as a man wearing the same uniform as Ron was injected with some tubules that exited through the first knuckle.

The man struggled for the first few seconds, but then ceased. His skin began turning gray. His eyes became lifeless, and he walked like an automaton.

Mechanical components were added. Black Body Armor, wicked-looking prosthetics on the arms, even a thing over one eye. By the time it was done, the man was no longer an individual.

Just a mindless drone of the Collective.

Tevos fought the urge to vomit. if this was true - and because this was the mind, it had to be - then the Borg just entered the list of worst things to encounter and jumped to the top spot in less than two minutes. "I think I'm going to be sick," she said.

"Believe me, you're not the only one," Ron informed. Images of a battle between a cube and several Starfleet ships entered her mind. "Wolf 359. Worst battle in Starfleet's history before the Dominion War."

"One ship… did all of this?" Tevos asked.

"Not just one ship," Ron informed. "One MAN." An image of a man wearing a Starfleet uniform, much older in design, entered her mind. He was bald, and looked much wiser than his years. "Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the Federation starship _Enterprise_ NCC-1701-D."

"I presume that ship has a history," she said. "I mean, given the 'D' in the registry, which does not seem normal."

A much older ship entered the view, looking like an old Earth fighter she had seen in a history book after learning of humanity's existence. "_Enterprise_ NX-01, first ship to bear the name that ever left Earth's solar system," Ron explained. "First of the NX-Class, too." The image changed to another one, looking far different, yet similar. "The most famous. _Constitution_-class, USS _Enterprise_ NCC-1701. 40 years of service, including a mission under James Tiberius Kirk." The image changed to the ship being dismantled and rebuilt, looking more… beautiful in the refit configuration. "Her life ended over Genesis."

She watched as the forward half of the _Enterprise_'s Saucer just blew up in a massive explosion. The ship, trailing fire, descended into the atmosphere of a planet, burning up as it went.

"Oh… my…"

"Veteran officers still cry seeing that," Ron said. "Hell, I cry thinking about it. but it wasn't the end for that beloved name."

The image changed, as they saw a shuttle of some kind fly over a ship named USS _Excelsior_ NX-2000 and another _Constitution_-Class ship entered view with the name and registry USS _Enterprise_ NCC-1701-A.

"She only served for 6 years," Ron said, "but it was enough. Another ship replaced her after she was retired."

The image of a ship closely related to the _Excelsior_ entered view, only with two extra impulse engines and enlarged 'cheeks' near the deflector dish. The registry read NCC-1701-B.

"_Excelsior_-Class," Ron informed. "Served for a long time before she disappeared. Then came the second most pivotal ship to carry the name since Archer's NX-01."

It had a larger saucer than the _Excelsior_ version, but it was perfectly circular. The pylon connecting to the lower hull was shorter, and thinner, though not as thin as the _Constitution_. The lower hull itself was shorter, but still round like the _Constitution_. The pylons were similar to the _Excelsior_'s, but larger, and the nacelles themselves were wider, taller, and shorter than the _Excelsior_'s. The registry was NCC-1701-C.

"The _Enterprise_-C," Ron explained. "12 years of service, and she brought peace with the Klingons through her actions in her last day of life." An image of the _Enterprise_-C fighting four green, birdlike starships was seen, fighting bravely, and even destroying two of them before she herself was lost. "Captain Garrett brought peace with the Klingons by defending Narendra III from the Romulans. They saw her defense of a colony world as signs that we were a valued, honorable ally. It would be years before the _Enterprise_-D replaced her." The image of a larger ship, with more of an ellipsoid saucer and shorter pylons, entered their view. "_Galaxy_-Class, NCC-1701-D. Picard made first contact with the borg in 2365, a year after he took command. Then, a year and a half later…"

Another image appeared. It was of Picard again, but this time he was different. He looked like a Borg Drone. "_I am Locutus of Borg,_" he said. "_Resistance is Futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward you will service us._"

Tevos had had enough. She didn't want to see anything more. But Ron wasn't going to let her go: not until she knew how they ended up here. "Keep watching, Councilor," he said. "We're not done." Wolf 359 returned to their view 'pleasure', as ship after ship was either destroyed outright or turned into a burning hulk. "11000 lives lost. 39 starships destroyed. Only quick action by the _Enterprise_ saved Picard and stopped the cube." Images of the _Enterprise_-D rushing past them before the cube exploded flashed before them before the image changed to that of the Enterprise fighting a smaller ship. "Oh. Right. The most embarrassing battle the _Enterprises_ have ever fought, but it's excusable, mostly because the Duras whores fried the shield generator with their first shot, making sure they could keep punching through the shields."

She watched as the smaller ship kept tearing into the _Enterprise_-D with torpedoes and green energy blasts, before the _Enterprise_-D finally got off a Torpedo that hit the smaller ship as it was beginning to become transparent, causing it to explode. "That… was that ship-"

"Cloaking?" Ron said, finishing her question. "Yes. Cloaking technology is common in our universe. But the _Enterprise_-D was lost, and that brought her successor into being." The image changed to another ship, only this time the image was more familiar, as Tevos had seen this ship. It was a near-copy of the _Ra-Cailum_, with two differences: the name and registry, being USS _Enterprise_ NCC-1701-E. "Picard commanded this one as well, and fought against the borg in 2373, stopping them from… well…"

She watched again as another fleet assaulted a Borg Cube, this one over Earth, as the _Enterprise_-E swooped in to join the battle, and they finally destroyed the Cube… only for a Sphere to emerge, which disappeared into a rift. "What…"

"Time travel," Ron explained. "The sphere went into the past, trying to prevent first contact between humanity and the Vulcans. If that never happened, the federation would never be formed. The _Enterprise_-E succeeded in stopping them, although over half the crew were assimilated, most of the ship was overrun with Borg technology and Picard had SERIOUS anger issues for a few weeks afterward." The image faded away, replaced with another ship.

The saucer was much larger than the _Sovereign_-Class, and the lower hull a bit more rounded. Saucer and lower hull were joined by _**two**_ pylons, one on each side of the hull, and the nacelles and pylons connecting them to the ship were much more elegant. The ship as a whole was larger than the _Sovereign_, but the most beautiful design she'd seen yet.

The key feature, though, was the registry: NCC-1701-F. This was the eighth ship to bear the name. "She was commissioned last year," Ron said. "I won't tell you everything, but the _Enterprise_-F is the most powerful ship in Starfleet. The _Ra-Cailum_ is barely a match for her, and that's only if the captain's having an off day."

"I see," Tevos replied, nodding. "It is an impressive looking ship… so… how did you arrive in our universe?"

The image changed again, this time showing the battle against the Borg Fleet in the Defera Sector.

"We had engaged a fleet of Borg ships in our universe in response to the _Raging Tempest_'s call for assistance. We used our deflector dish to open a Tyken's Rift-" Tevos barely understood what he said. "I'll give your scientists access to our astrometrics database. In a nutshell, the Borg tried to overload it, but that opened a brief tear between the universes, and we were sent here."

Tevos nodded. "The Salarians are the main scientists of our galaxy," she said. "We Asari are the diplomats, the Turians the warriors - though Krogan also fill a warrior role, if you can find and hire one. Humans are the relative newcomers to galactic society - we don't quite know what role they fill yet, because they have people in all walks of life."

Ron chuckled. "Humans need a 'galactic hat', so to speak. Don't type-classify humans, Councillor: our main virtue is being 'hatless'. it means we're far more adaptable than most races other than-" The red laser hit Tevos' form again before Ron looked at it. "Piss off." The Borg disappeared from the mindscape. "Got everything you need?"

"Y… yes, I think so," Tevos replied. "I am most wholly convinced that your story is genuine."

"Good. Now… GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!"

* * *

_**Citadel Council chamber**_

* * *

Tevos' eyes returned to normal as she blinked, stepping away from Ron. "His tale is genuine," she informed the Council. "He and those from the ships with him are not from this universe."

She shivered slightly, the images of the Borg continuing to dance in her mind.

"Councilor Tevos, are you alright?" the Turian Councilor, Sparatus, asked.

She wanted to say yes. She really did. But she couldn't. "No…" she replied. "Some of what I saw… what his universe has faced… I envy them the courage to face what they do."

"What did you see, Councilor?"

She looked at the Salarian briefly before saying two words. "The Borg."

"Borg? Sounds Swedish."

Tevos turned to him. "Oh, how I wish it was," she said to him. "Imagine a people that are more machine than man. That go about the galaxy, conquering the races they come across. No, not just conquering - subsuming, robbing them of their individuality and forcing them to join the hive mind that runs the entire force. _**THAT**_ is the Borg… and I pray that we may never have to face them."

Both councilors were stunned silent before they looked at Ron, then back at Tevos, then at each other for a brief moment. "I… believe we have enough information, Captains. You will be allowed to walk the Citadel unescorted, but I recommend being armed if you wish to enter any of the… seedier sections."

"Right," Takeshi said. "We can explore once this meeting is over. I feel it only polite to stay until the end of the meeting."

"Very well, Captain," Sparatus said. "You assisted Spectre Nihlus in his mission, despite the loss of the beacon and Saren's escape?"

Ron smiled at the mentioning of the beacon. "I blew it the fuck up and I regret NOTHING."

"Apparently, his people have encountered Psionic Technology in the past, and it was always hostile," Nihlus explained.

"I… see…" Sparatus replied. "Well, I am hopeful you would be able to continue helping us. You do not need to lend us your technology if you do not want to, but we would appreciate the assistance in hunting Saren down."

"I've always wanted a chance to go on a RRR," Ron said. "Takeshi, have fun on the station: I'm going back to the _Ra-Cailum_ so we can get ready."

"RRR?" Takeshi asked.

"Roaring Rampage of Revenge! AHAHAHAHA!" The acting commodore left the room, followed by his chief engineer.

"We're all doomed." Tevos muttered.

"Not all of us," Takeshi replied. "Just whoever is stupid enough to get in his way. But yeah, I'll help out if I can."

Sparatus nodded. "Thank you," he said. "Now… on to the next order of business."

Tevos nodded as she took her seat again. "Commander Nicole Shepard and Lieutenant Hitomi Yamato, step forward," she said.

Both stepped forward, unmindful of Takeshi's blinking at Hitomi's last name.

"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel," Tevos informed.

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen," The Salarian Councilor, Valern, continued. "Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle: those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol," Tevos said. "The embodiment of courage, determination and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the council: the instrument of our will."

"Spectres carry a great burden," Sparatus informed. "They are the protectors of galactic peace as both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first two Human Spectres, Commander, Lieutenant," Tevos said. "This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species."

Hitomi grinned despite herself. An actual Spectre! "Thank you, Councilors," she said.

Nicole nodded. "I am honored, Councilor," she said.

"We will be sending the two of you and Spectre Nihlus after Saren," Valern informed. "Take a day or so to rest and prepare for your mission. We will inform Ambassador Udina, so he can make arrangements on his end for you."

"You can also use this time to search for any clues on the Citadel itself," Sparatus said. "We will try and find a list of potential targets for you, and forward them to Udina, but if you can find information about Saren's allies, or what he is after, it will only help your mission."

"Understood, Councilors," Shepard replied. "We'll be ready."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- main engineering**_

* * *

Sonja watched her CO as he watched her take apart one of the geth rifles. Clearly, the borg added a desire to make Ron drive them insane. "Sir, I can't get this done if you keep WATCHING ME," she said.

"Sorry," Ron replied apologetically. "It's that Borg part of my mind. I just want to strip that thing down and-"

"Don't finish that sentence, please," Sonja said. "So, what're the chances the Borg came through with us?"

The former drone sighed. "Extremely high," he said. "They're here. We just haven't seen them yet."

"Hoping they didn't," Sonja replied. "I'll get this thing stripped down and working again in no time. YOU go drive everyone on the station crazy." A twisted cackle was her answer to that.

* * *

_**Citadel - Lower Wards**_

* * *

After the Council meeting, the group had briefly gone to the Human Embassy, where Kaidan and Ashley were assigned to the two new Spectres. When asked about potential leads on Saren, Udina had mentioned a detective named Garrus Vakarian had been looking into him. They didn't know where he was, but they had a lead on someone who did.

Thus, they were on their way to the Chora's Den Cantina to speak to the guy, with Takeshi in tow, the Starfleet Captain having beamed to his ship really quick to switch to his regular uniform - the standard 'Odyssey' type, though he'd traded out the standard jacket for a Long Jacket variant. It was mostly black, aside from red trim, a red undershirt, and white shoulders. The white shoulders were typical for a Starfleet Captain - lower-ranking officers got dark grey shoulders. He still had his Katana, though joining it was a Phaser Pulsewave Assault Weapon typically used by the MACOs, equipped with a Grenade Launcher.

After fighting their way through some thugs apparently hired by Saren, they entered the Cantina, where they found a pair of Krogan arguing. One looked like a bouncer for the Cantina.

"Back off, Wrex," the bouncer said to the other Krogan. "Fist told us to take you down if you showed up."

"What are you waiting for?" the other Krogan, Wrex, asked. "I'm standing right here. This is Fist's only chance. If he's smart, he'll take it."

"He's not coming out, Wrex," the bouncer replied. "End of story."

"This story is just beginning," Wrex said, before he turned to leave. His path took him past the new Spectres and their group. "Out of my way, Humans. I have no quarrel with you," he said as he pushed past them.

"What was that all about?" Kaidan asked.

"Who cares?" Ashley replied. "Let's just try not to get caught in the middle."

They soon found the human in question, Harkin, face down on a table, drunk as a skunk. '_Someone got depressed fast._'

He looked up as they approached. "Alliance Military," he said. "Hmph. I coulda been a Marine, you know. Instead I joined the damned Citadel Security. Biggest mistake of my life."

"We're looking for a Turian C-Sec officer: Garrus Vakarian," Shepard informed. "Do you know where he is?"

"Garrus?" Harkin asked. "Ha! You're with Anderson's crew, so tell me: did he tell you his story?"

"What story?" Shepard queried.

"That he used to be a Spectre candidate!" Harkin explained. "Says Saren screwed him over when the mission went south."

"Would explain his reaction to Saren's name when I informed him who was leading the Eden Prime attack," Hitomi said. "He looked ready to swear like a drunken sailor. Anyway, that's not really important right now. Do you know where Garrus is?"

"He's probably at the doc's place: other side of the ward."

Shepard was tempted to bitch slap the asshole, but decided otherwise. "Enjoy your drinks," she said.

"Let me get drunk in peace, damn it!" Harkin moaned as they left.

"Well, we have a lead," Shepard remarked. "Let's get to the office in question."

With nods, the group set out again, though when they got to the office, the doctor in question was being harassed by thugs.

"I didn't tell anyone!"

"That's smart, doc," the thug said. "Now, if Garrus comes around again, you'll STAY smart. Keep your mouth-" The thug shut up as soon as he saw the team enter the room. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Let her go!" Shepard yelled, just before there was a shot, hitting the thug in the side as Garrus, who had hidden behind a panel, opened up with his pistol.

Hitomi used a Biotic Charge to get into the midst of the thugs, carving one up with her sword as Takeshi ran in normally, vaulting over a half-wall to decapitate another one, as Shepard's Assault Rifle got the last one.

"Perfect timing, Shepard," Garrus said once the fighting was done. "Gave me a clear shot at that bastard."

"You call a hostage situation a clear-" Hitomi began, before she sighed. "…Never mind. Are you alright, Doctor?"

"I'm alright," she replied. "Thank you. If you don't mind me asking, who are you? I know most of you are Alliance, but… he's not wearing armor: just a uniform."

"Takeshi Yamato," Takeshi replied. "Captain of the Federation Starship _Raging Tempest_. I'd explain exactly where I'm from, but we're not really on a leisurely stroll here, and you might be hearing an official announcement soon, anyway."

Hitomi blinked at hearing he shared her last name, but figured they could talk about it later. "Who were those guys, anyway?"

"Fist's thugs," the Doctor replied. They wanted to shut me up and not tell Garrus about the Quarian."

"A Quarian?" Shepard asked.

"A few days ago, a female Quarian came in," she informed. "She'd been shot, but wouldn't say anything about who did it. She was scared, that much I know. I put her in contact with Fist: he works for the Shadow Broker."

"Not any more," Garrus replied. "Now he works for Saren, and the Shadow Broker isn't too happy about it."

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?" the Doctor asked. "That's stupid, even for him. Saren must have made him quite an offer."

"That Quarian must have something Saren wants," Garrus remarked. "Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get."

"Likely something that could link him to the Geth, or point us towards his objective," Shepard remarked. "Did she say anything about Saren or the Geth?"

"Yes! Something about the Geth," the Doctor informed. "She said she was going to trade the information to the Shadow Broker!"

"Hole in one," Hitomi remarked. "Let's find that Quarian. Captain, do you have any of that advanced scanning technology on hand? We could use it right about now."

"Sure thing," Takeshi replied, as he brought out a Tricorder. "Not the most powerful of scanners, but a simple model like this is something even a Tactical Career Captain like myself can use." He started working with it, inputting data about the Quarians he'd gotten as part of a large database package as they'd been getting ready to depart Eden Prime. "Quarians shouldn't be that common around here… Ah, I'm getting something. Let's go."

"I'll go, too," Garrus informed. "I'd been investigating Saren before Eden Prime, but wasn't getting anywhere. I could just tell he was rotten somehow. Glad you managed to get his Spectre status revoked, but I still want to help!"

"A second Turian on the hunt never hurts," Hitomi remarked, as both Nihlus and Shepard nodded.

"Then let's get moving," Shepard ordered. "We've got a Quarian to find." The team, plus their C-Sec Turian, left the clinic, heading in the general direction indicated by Takeshi's tricorder.

A few thugs stood in their way, but their weapons, and Takeshi's phaser pulsewave assault weapon, were more then enough to break through. "She's through here!"

As they rounded a corner into an alleyway, they saw the Quarian, with a Turian and a pair of Salarians.

"Did you bring it?" the Turian asked.

"Where's the Shadow Broker?" the Quarian asked. "Where's Fist?"

"They'll be here," the Turian said, putting a hand on the Quarian's shoulder and then running it down her arm. "Where's the evidence?"

"No way," the Quarian replied, slapping his hand away. "The deal's off."

The Turian backed away, and as the Salarians drew their pistols, Tali threw a grenade at them and leapt into cover, the grenade exploding and disorienting them.

Shepard took aim with her AR, putting several rounds into one of the Salarians, whose shields failed before Takeshi fired his weapon into the turian, the shotgun-like effect killing him instantly. The last Salarian attempted to run, but they were having none of that. Garrus unloaded an entire burst into the Salarian, killing him before he hit the ground. "Well, that was interesting," Garrus remarked. "What kind of weapon is that, Captain?"

"Phaser Pulsewave Assault Weapon with built-in Grenade Launcher," Takeshi replied. "Fires a burst of Nadion Energy, like some of the other Phaser weapons we have, but rather than a focused beam or concentrated bolt, it's a loosely concentrated pulse, kinda like a shotgun." He then noticed the Quarian getting out from cover. "Are you alright, Miss?"

"I'm alright," she replied. "Just cursing myself for trusting Fist. He had to have set me up!"

"Well, I think we need to pay him a visit now," Shepard remarked. "I don't think we're going to leave a link to Saren untouched, are we?"

"No, I don't believe so, Commander," Garrus replied. "But I think we can get someone willing to help: a krogan battlemaster named Urdnot Wrex. We picked him up a while ago: might still be at the academy. If we hurry, we might catch up with him."

"I think we saw him at the bar earlier," Takeshi informed. "Said something about killing Fist. Definitely might be good to get his help."

"Definitely," Hitomi remarked. "I mean, having a Krogan with us? Krogans hit things like a Tank firing more Tanks!"

The team, plus their new Quarian ally, who was named Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, made their way to the C-Sec Academy, where two turians and a pair of humans were escorting the Krogan they saw earlier out. "We don't want to see you here for a while, Wrex! do us a favor and stay out of trouble!" The Krogan huffed in response as the C-Sec team left.

"Do I know you, human?" Wrex asked as Shepard stepped up to him.

"My name's Shepard," she replied. "I'm going after Fist. Thought you might want to come along."

"Shepard?" Wrex asked. "Commander Shepard? I've heard a lot about you - recently made one of the first two Human Spectres." He stepped closer to Shepard and the rest of the group. "We're both warriors, Shepard. Out of respect, I'll give you fair warning. I'm going to kill Fist."

"Fist knows you're coming," Garrus replied. "We'll have a better chance if we all work together."

Wrex 'Hmm'd. "My people have a saying," he said. "Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend."

"Glad to have you on the team, Wrex," Shepard replied as she shook his hand.

"Let's go," Wrex said. "I'd hate to keep Fist waiting."

"Agreed," Tali remarked. "I'll make him pay for setting me up like that."

Revenge was a dish best served cold, as the Klingons would say. The way back was going to be difficult, seeing as Wrex was with them. Still, they didn't run into anyone until they reached the bar itself, but even then, the thugs were shooting inside the bar at someone else. "What the hell?" Hitomi asked. "Who's causing that?"

"Don't know, but I like him already!" Wrex remarked.

A red-orange bolt hit one of the thugs, and Takeshi knew EXACTLY what that was: a phaser bolt, fired from a Type-3 rifle. "Come on, assholes! I can do this shit all day!"

Takeshi sighed, recognizing the voice. "Ron," he muttered. "Well, might as well give him a hand."

The group all nodded, and charged into the bar, adding their firepower to Ron's as they opened up on the thugs.

Aforementioned captain was alternating between shooting, taking cover, and drinking from a bottle of pilfered alcohol. "You couldn't hit the broadside of a planet! With a sniper rifle! THAT'S pathetic!" The thugs all concentrated their fire on Ron's position inside the bar, and that was when he lost his patience. "Ok, you asked for it! Maximum setting!" He stood up, firing the rifle on full auto, hitting and vaporizing anything that was organic. A bolt nearly hit Tali, scaring her out of her wits.

"Ron, try to _**avoid**_ friendly fire scenarios, if you'd please!" Takeshi called out as he triggered the Grenade Launcher on his weapon, sending a Photon Grenade into a cluster of thugs. Soon after that, Hitomi did a Biotic Charge, followed by a sweep of her sword, finishing off the last bunch in the bar itself.

The ex-Borg captain left cover, slightly tipsy. "You try avoiding hitting a friendly when you're drunk," he said. "I came here to get a drink, the assholes wanted my phaser rifle, I refused, this happened. I might still have borg technology inside my body, but that doesn't mean I can't get wasted off my ass." One of the thugs that survived the first wave got up and tried to run, but Ron fired his phaser rifle, now set to stun, at the poor bastard's head, knocking him out again. "So, have fun?"

"A bit," Takeshi replied. "We have a potential lead against Saren, information held by Miss Tali here," he gestured to indicate the Quarian, who nodded. "However, she was set up by Fist, the owner of this place, who was hired by Saren to kill her. She wants payback, so we came here, but not before picking up Wrex here," he indicated the Krogan, "who's also after Fist."

"Well, that makes three of us. He tried to have me killed just because I didn't want to hand over my weapon. you know what that means." His face sported a crazy grin. "I'm going to help waste his ass!"

The Krogan bouncer that guarded the door left cover, shooting at the team, who quickly took cover again. "Any idea on how we're getting past him?" Shepard asked. "He's fully armored AND shielded!"

Ron reset the phaser rifle to a beam mode and to maximum. "Like this." he poked his head out of cover before firing the phaser at the bouncer, who, after about five seconds, was vaporized. "And THAT is why you do not FUCK with Starfleet!"

Wrex stared in shock at the weapon. "I've gotta get me one of those," he whispered in awe.

"Deal with Fist first, admire the weapon later," Takeshi reminded, pointing towards the door leading deeper into the bar. "Let's keep moving."

They approached the entrance to the office, but the door was locked. "We're going to need to run a bypass," Hitomi remarked. "Anyone here have-"

Ron extended his hand, balled into a fist, at the door controls, then two tubules exited his hand through the first knuckles of his index and middle fingers, punching through the control panel.

"What the hell?" Ashley asked. "What is that?"

"Borg technology," Ron replied. "It's a long and complicated story."

The door opened, allowing them to enter. Fist, wearing body armor, fired at them, but soon realized he was doomed.

"Wait!" Fist cried after they destroyed the last of his turrets. "Don't kill me! I surrender."

Tali stepped forward, pistol in hand and aimed at his head. "Surrendering isn't going to help you for setting me up like that, _**Fist**_." she growled.

"Now, now, miss, he's a prisoner," Ron said. "Starfleet doesn't kill prisoners."

"Oh, thank god," Fist sighed in relief.

"I AM, however, willing to transfer him to yours and Mr. Wrex's joint custody. After that, he's not my problem." Ron handed Wrex his phaser rifle. "Enjoy. I will want that back, though."

Wrex grinned. "Thank you," he said, pointing the weapon at Fist, who was suddenly panicking again.

"Wait, please don-"

The phaser beam struck Fist, instantly vaporizing him.

"That's done," Tali remarked. "I would have liked to kill him myself, but at least he's dead now."

"OK, now that that's done," Shepard began, "shall we see about looking at that data you have, Miss Tali?"

"Of course, but not here," Tali replied. "Somewhere where we won't be ambushed."

"The Human Embassy would work," Ashley replied. "Anderson and Udina should probably see this, too, anyway."

* * *

_**Presidium, Human Embassy - 30 minutes later**_

* * *

Udina and Anderson were engaged in a rather… intense conversation when the team, plus Ron, Tali and Wrex, entered the former's office. "Shepard, what the hell are you doing?!" Udina demanded "There were reports of a firefight down in the War - Who the hell are they?"

"The best thing you're about to see today, Ambassador," Shepard replied. "Miss Tali here has data from the Geth that might screw Saren over."

"Really, now?" Udina questioned, curious. "What is it?"

"I was on my pilgrimage, my passage into adulthood, when I discovered a Geth patrol on an uncharted planet," Tali explained. "I waited for one to become separated from its' group before disabling it and recovering the memory core."

"I thought the Geth destroyed their memory cores if they were heavily damaged," Anderson remarked.

"Captain, please," Tali admonished. "The Quarians created the geth. Recovering the data wasn't easy, but I did it. I was able to recover some of the data from the audio banks." Tali activated her omni-tool, and a voice played back.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory, despite the beacon's loss and the damage Sovereign suffered,_" it said. "_We're one step closer to finding the Conduit._"

"That's Saren's voice!" Anderson exclaimed.

"At least we know what he's after, now," Hitomi remarked. "Though I am curious as to what this 'Conduit' is."

"There's more," Tali replied. "Saren wasn't alone." She triggered the playback again.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory, despite the beacon's loss and the damage Sovereign suffered,_" Saren's voice repeated. "_We're one step closer to finding the Conduit._"

"_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers,_" a female voice replied.

"Reapers?" Hitomi asked. "What are they?"

"According to the memory core, a hyper-advanced machine race that wiped out the Protheans 50,000 years ago. The Geth worship them as gods."

"Guess they haven't heard of the Borg yet," Ron remarked. "They'll have wet dreams from those assholes."

Anderson looked at Ron, wondering what the hell the Borg really were, but not asking about them. "What about this Sovereign he spoke of?" he asked.

"I guess that's his ship," Ron replied. "The _Ra-Cailum_ engaged a more powerful ship in orbit over Eden Prime, causing a lot of damage. That might be Sovereign."

"Still, we know what he's after now," Shepard replied. "And that vision I got from the beacon… that had to have been the Reapers destroying the Protheans. And Saren wants to bring them back."

"I doubt the Council will believe that, Shepard," Udina remarked. "I'm not sure _**I**_ believe it, to be honest."

"Still, this does give you a lead," Anderson said. "You won't be able to find Saren directly - he's long gone by now. But if you go after the Geth, try to stop him from finding the Conduit, or find it before he does, you'll have him."

Udina was forced to agree. "I'll present this to the Council. I won't say anything about the reapers, as that might damage your credibility."

"Actually, I think you should mention them," Takeshi remarked.

Udina looked at Takeshi. "Captain?" he asked.

"Starfleet's run into ancient and sentient machines in the past," Takeshi informed. "I'm not a history expert - that's Ron's general territory - but our experiences might help sway them in the right direction."

Udina was clearly surprised by that. "Very well, but I will leave convincing them up to you, gentlemen," he said. "I will see you at the tower." The ambassador left, heading for the council tower.

"Ron, you go ahead," Takeshi said to Ron. "You're the bigger history expert - you'll be better at convincing the Council. I'll stay here, help plan our next move."

"Oh, by the time I'm done, they'll be worshiping the ground Shepard walks on. Let me know what you think up." Ron followed Udina out, leaving them behind.

"OK," Takeshi said. "So, what's first?"

"Well, we've managed to secure a ship for Shepard and her team to use," Anderson informed. "I'm being assigned as a Military Liaison to the Embassy. The _Normandy_'s your ship now, Shepard."

Shepard blinked. "You're being kicked up the ladder?" she asked. "Why?"

"You can't have anyone but the Council giving you orders, Commander," he told her. "You need to be in charge of whatever ship you're on. And the _Normandy's_ perfect for you."

"Is there another reason?" Hitomi asked.

Anderson sighed. "I was in your shoes, once," he said. "A Spectre candidate. Saren was the one sent to observe me, like Nihlus was you. The mission went bad, and Saren made sure I was blamed, and not admitted to the Spectres."

"Bias," Takeshi remarked, realizing it. "If you took part, you wouldn't be able to stay objective."

"Exactly," Anderson replied. "The Council wants someone with a clear head on their shoulders. That's you. But take my advice." His eyes narrowed. "Take that son of a bitch down."

"I intend to, Captain," Shepard replied. "I intend to."

"And I'll help the best I can," Takeshi added. "Something tells me these Reapers are bad news, and anything involving them coming back can't be good."

"Sounds like it'll be fun," Wrex commented. "I'm not gonna miss out on this."

"I owe you for saving me from Fist's ambush," Tali remarked. "I'll help out as best I can."

"Thank you. Let's get to the Council Tower: we've got a mission to get started."

* * *

_**Council Chambers**_

* * *

"_Eden Prime was a major victory, despite the beacon's loss and the damage Sovereign suffered,_" Saren's voice said. "_We're one step closer to finding the Conduit._"

"_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers,_" replied the other voice.

The council listened to the playback, slightly unnerved by the fact that Saren killed hundreds of unarmed colonists just because they were human. "I'm not sure what to say, Captain," Valern remarked. "You believe these… Reapers exist?"

"Starfleet's run into sentient machines before: Vaal on Gamma Trianguli VI was at least 100,000 years old before Captain Kirk had the damn thing shut down, the hybridized probe Nomad, the M-5 computer, the Landru computer on Beta III and several others. ALL of them were sentient, and two of the examples were over 10000 years old. We've seen technology that outlasts stars, Councillors. One of them nearly destroyed the _Enterprise_ in 2268."

Sparatus nodded. "V… very well," he said, unnerved. "We'll look into more details on these Reapers as soon as possible. We'll also look into what this 'Conduit' might be, and how he might use it to bring them back."

"I also recognized the other voice on the recording," Tevos informed. "Matriarch Benezia."

"Another Asari, councilor?" Ron asked. "Judging by the title, she's highly important."

"Not exactly," Tevos informed. "Matriarchs are extremely old Asari: outwards of 900 years. Benezia is one of them, and a highly powerful one."

"She also sounds like Captain Troi, so that doesn't help matters."

"Someone from your universe, I take it," Valern remarked.

"Starfleet officer, half-human, half-Betazoid," Ron replied. "It was the voice that reminds me of her for the most part. Still, if these Reapers are a threat to your galaxy, they will be a threat in ours. Until we regain contact with Starfleet Command, we'll assist in taking the Reapers out by doing everything short of breaking the Prime Directive."

"We understand," Tevos replied. "Thank you for your assistance."

The Starfleet officer nodded as the rest of the team entered the chamber.

"Commander Shepard, Lieutenant Yamato," Sparatus greeted. "You have full clearance to find Saren and eliminate him by any means necessary. Captain Pinkerton has also given his word that he will assist you in whatever manner he can, other than breaking this… 'Prime directive'. Whatever that means."

"Starfleet General Order One, also known as the Prime Directive," Takeshi informed. "'Starfleet Officers shall not influence the society or technology of any other culture.' Simply put, no sharing our technology with you, or trying to alter how you do things. We'll still do our best to help bring Saren down, though."

"That order seems… inefficient, Captain," Valern remarked

"It's necessary," Ron informed. "Some cultures just aren't ready to join the galactic community yet. We wait until they develop warp drive, out main FTL technology, before we make first contact. That way, they have a chance to get used to what the galaxy is truly like."

Tevos nodded. "Even considering the position we were in at the time, something like that might have been beneficial when dealing with the Krogans," she remarked. "What's done is done, of course, but you can't help but agree where something like the Prime Directive would have its advantages."

"I'll send over a copy of the regs later for you," Ron said. "Maybe they'll help. Right now, we need a lead as to where the hell we're going first. Anything you can tell us about Benezia? Anyone linked to her sans Saren?"

"She has a daughter, Liara T'Soni," Tevos replied. "She's an archaeologist who focuses on the Prothean Extinction. Reports place her in the Artemis Tau Cluster at the moment."

"Then we're going to go pick her up," Ron said. "Anything else?"

"Not at the moment," Sparatus replied. "But we'll keep you informed. Also, since Saren seems to be working with the Geth, if you come across Geth activity, you might find clues if you deal with it."

"Then we'll head out. We'll keep you informed. This is a joint operation, after all." Ron turned around and left the chamber, heading back to the docks.

"Captain Yamato, if you don't mind, we would like to supply you with a pair of quantum entanglement communication devices," Valern offered. "You don't seem to have them, as we had a hard time contacting your ships when you arrived, and we're going to need longer-range communications than you seem to have."

"I understand," Takeshi replied. "We do have long-range communications, but we likely use a different method, causing a bit of incompatibility at long distances. Having your comm systems would be a good way to fix that. I'll make sure one of them gets to Ron's ship."

"May the spirits guide your blade, Captain. you are dismissed."

* * *

_**Kite's Nest - Indris System, 20 Terran AU from Hiba**_

* * *

Two Batarian cruisers approached what appeared to be a white hole in space, weapons armed and ready.

"Do we have any idea what this… thing is?" the Captain of the lead ship asked.

"None, sir," the person running his scanners reported, "but the energy readings are massive."

Before the captain could reply, a massive ship exited the hole. Cubical in shape and covered in armor plating, it was rather… intimidating.

The hole then closed up, just before an echoing, mechanical voice came through the speakers on both ships… in every room.

"_We are the Borg,_" the voice said. "_Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is Futile._"

"We will destroy you and take your ship as a war prize!" the Captain yelled in counter. "Long live the Hegemony!"

The Batarians opened fire with their mass effect-using railguns, doing minimal damage due to the tactical cube's armor plating, which was made of tritanium, a substance at least 21.4 times harder than diamond. Their weapons were something the cube could not adapt to, as projectiles were not energy, but the weapons themselves were weak. The cube locked a tractor beam onto the lead cruiser, quickly pulling down the shields and allowing them to send drones onto the cruiser. The Batarians would stand no chance against them. Two shock troopers discovered a dozen drones beaming into their bunk room, and opened fire, killing five of the drones, but the Borg stunned the Batarians before marching over and beginning the process of assimilation. One of the drones picked up the Batarians' weapons and attempted to assimilate them, but the Eezo inside the weapon was incompatible with Borg technology, and the Borg rejected it as viable, as they could not enhance it, nor adapt to it.

The Borg continued beaming drones into the Batarian Ships, landing in various parts of each ship. Several drones were killed, but the Borg were relentless as they assimilated Batarian after Batarian. The technology, however, kept getting discarded, the Borg not finding a way to assimilate the Eezo that kept appearing as its power source.

Meanwhile, on the cube itself, it was separated from the rest of the Collective, but the vinculum still worked, maintaining their hive mind as they adapted, one female Drone being strapped to an operating table as she was further modified.

While they couldn't assimilate the technology, they could still use the ships. '_Send equipment to vessels 002 and 003. Goal: assimilation and conversion. Enhance vessels with Borg technology and weapons. Send Vessel 002 to local galactic area identified as Artemis Tau, planet identified as Therum. Goal: assimilation of archaeological team. Tactical Cube 0518 is redesignated Tactical Cube 001. Goal: assimilation of local system for conversion into primary unicomplex._'

The Borg moved swiftly, pursuing the new goals they had determined, even as their new Queen was being formed.

In this galaxy, as in the one they came from, all would become part of the Collective.

It was inevitable.

* * *

_**Citadel orbit - USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

Ron sighed as he added a gold bar under his four rank pips. It was the usual sign of a director of a service, but it was the closest thing they had to Commodore's rank pins in the 24th and 25th Centuries, so it would work for now. '_There are times I loathe Starfleet regulations,_' he thought. Regulation 191, Article 14 was his least favorite regulation, as it forced him to step on the toes of his fellow captains. Still, he had to act the part. And keep as low a profile as possible, in terms of technological interference. He had no doubt his ship and the _Raging Tempest_ would inspire new weapons and technology for the locals. That's always how it worked. The Commodore left his ready room, marching to the center chair. "Corpsa, hail the _Tempest_," he ordered.

"Channel open, sir," Corpsa replied after a moment.

"_Takeshi here,_" Takeshi replied as his image appeared on the viewscreen. "_You get that Quantum Entanglement Communications System the Citadel Council had me ferry to you?_"

"We did. Sonja's installing it now. Our first stop will be Dr. T'soni's dig on Therum, which is a highly volcanic planet. I want our people wearing EV suits if we go down there. I'll be deploying my… special surprise when we get down there."

"_Understood,_" Takeshi replied. "_I think the _Normandy'_s going to be deploying that 'Mako' of theirs._" he paused for a bit. "_Honestly, can't understand why we didn't develop armored transports like that._"

"Because we usually don't need them. We have shuttlecraft and transporters, so why the hell do we need armored vehicles? Plus, it makes us look far too… aggressive. Not an image we need."

"_Makes sense,_" Takeshi replied. "_Well, I'll have Matt double-check our EV Suits, so that we're ready for when we get there. When's our departure time?_"

"Right the hell now," Ron informed. "Get into formation behind the _Normandy_: time to get moving. We've got a doctor to save and a bunch of robots to blow up."

"_Understood,_" Takeshi replied. "Raging Tempest_, out._" The transmission ended as the _Sao Paulo_-Class vessel got in behind the Normandy, and all three ships began heading towards the Mass Relay.

The jump was per usual, as if the ships were built to use ME technology instead of having it tacked on. "ETA to Therum?" Ron asked.

"Three hours, Captain," Riza replied from the helm. "It's odd: I'm not used to this at all, oniisama. The only thing we have that's similar to this is quantum slipstream, but we can steer that."

"While in comparison, this is a giant railgun," Ron commented. "Some things we can't question. Just make sure we don't run into a black hole."

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy**

* * *

"ETA to Therum, three hours," Joker reported. "Everything's looking good, Commander."

"Good to hear," Shepard replied. "Hitomi, Nihlus, Williams, Tali, Wrex, report to the Mako and prepare to deploy."

"_Understood, Commander,_" Tali replied.

"_Got it, skipper,_" Ashley added.

"_On it,_" Wrex told him.

"_On my way, Shepard,_" Nihlus informed.

"_See you there, Nicole!_" Hitomi replied cheerfully.

"Think the Starfleet guys have anything like the Mako?" Joker asked.

"Doubt it," Shepard replied. "We didn't see anything like that on Eden Prime. Starfleet doesn't seem like a typical military organization, Joker. I've read most of the history files we were cleared for, and it's almost like they're an exploratory arm with big guns."

"Maybe they're both," Joker theorized. "The military and the explorers."

"I'll have to ask when we get there," Shepard informed, even as she stepped away from the Galaxy Map. "The ship's yours, Pressly. I'm heading down to the Mako."

"Understood, Commander," Pressly replied. "Good luck down there."

"Thanks," Shepard replied as she left the command deck, following a staircase down to the main crew deck, where an elevator brought her down to the deployment bay, where she mounted up with her usual equipment: Light 'Onyx' Armor, an M-92 'Mantis' Sniper Rifle, an M-3 'Predator' Pistol, and her Omni-Tool.

Hitomi, meanwhile, had upgraded from her Light 'Onyx' Armor to Medium Armor when on the Citadel, and in addition to her Katana, she also had an M-23 'Katana' Shotgun, which was the only ranged weapon she really used, tending to use her Biotics more often at range.

Ashley was still in her Medium 'Phoenix' Armor she'd had from Eden Prime, but she also had the widest loadout, consisting of a 'Mantis', an M-76 'Revenant' Assault Rifle, a 'Katana', and a 'Predator'. She also carried a stack of Grenades.

Nihlus wore his Spectre-issue armor, as well as a Mantis, Predator and an Avenger assault rifle.

Tali's light armor/enclosure suit was ready for combat, as were her Katana, Predator and Avenger.

Wrex was in his normal battle armor, and his Avenger and Katana were ready.

Now all they needed to do was wait.

* * *

_**Three hours later - Therum orbit**_

* * *

Two Geth frigates orbited the volcanic planet, ready to intercept anything that tried to make landfall. As two red orbs containing one matter/antimatter warhead making contact with their hulls proved, they weren't ready to handle the _Raging Tempest_.

"OK, that deals with the Space Forces," Takeshi announced. "_Normandy_, you are clear to drop the Mako. We'll be beaming down our ground teams close to where the Mako makes landfall."

"_Understood, _Raging Tempest," came the voice of the _Normandy_'s XO.

"Ra-Cailum _to _Tempest_: we're sending down a shuttle to make landfall,_" Ron informed. "_Beam down to the following coordinates._"

"Understood, _Ra-Cailum,_" Takeshi replied, as Rina sent the coordinates to the transporter room. "Good luck to all Ground Teams."

* * *

Therum surface

* * *

The Mako IFV landed with a crash on the obsidian/granite sands near the lava rivers. "The _Ra-Cailum_ shuttle should be getting pretty close," Shepard remarked. "We might need to make room."

"Captain Pinkerton might have a solution to that, but we'll get ready," Hitomi replied.

The large shuttlecraft, which was large, boxy and had two wings, flew over their Mako before dropping two four-wheeled vehicles to the ground. They were half the size of the Mako, but had a phaser cannon/missile turret and enough room for 6 people, not including the gunner, passenger, or driver. They were flat gray, with the only emblems being the emblem of the UFP and Starfleet being stenciled in black.

Soon after, five swirling columns of light indicated Linda, two Assault Squad Members, a Fabrication Engineer, and a Medic beaming down to the surface.

"Titanoboa two is all yours, Linda!" Ron called out. "Riza, man the gun on TB1!" The younger Pinkerton ran over to the other buggy, manning the turret. Suddenly, everyone was getting a minor case of gun envy.

"Thanks," Linda replied as her team loaded on, one of the other Assault Squad Members mounted the turret. "Let's go!"

"Great, they've got buggies," Ashley remarked. "That thing probably has more firepower than this tank does!"

"I think that was the point," Shepard replied.

The two titanoboas (Shepard vaguely wondered why they were named after an extinct snake) led the way for the Mako, as they were lighter, faster and smaller, and thus harder to hit. The Mako's ME cannon was a hard hitter, but probably lacked the punch those buggies had. "Captain, are you sure those things are good enough to fight down here?" Hitomi asked.

"These things are made of tritanium: 21 times harder than diamond!" Ron replied. "I should be asking YOU that question instead!"

"The Mako's fine!" Shepard replied. "Armored enough to withstand most impacts, Kinetic Barriers, this thing could withstand Geth Fire for hours before needing repairs! Not to mention the only hazard that poses a problem for this thing is Lava!"

The Mako then drove off a natural ramp, flying for a few dozen meters over a pool of lava before it came down on the land on the other side, perfectly unscathed. "You see?" she asked. "Not a problem!"

Hitomi, on the seat next to Shepard, was grinning, while Ashley, Nihlus, Tali, and Wrex, in the back, looked a little bit rattled after that jump.

"Oh, God, we're driving with two maniacs," Ashley moaned.

First contact with the Geth came in the form of a platoon of troopers, two juggernauts and a large armature.

"Oh, crap."

The Mako opened fire on the Geth, taking out the smaller troopers, but the Juggernauts jumped away, and the armature started firing missiles at them. The two Starfleet buggies opened fire on the remaining Geth, showing that their heavy weapons were just as overkill as their small arms.

As they drove on, they came across another cluster of Geth Troopers, and Shepard grinned. "Captain Pinkerton, Commander Allster-Yamato, stay back for this one," she called. "Let me show you something you can do in this thing that I doubt you could do in those buggies!"

She floored the accelerator, the Mako speeding up, before running over the Geth Troopers, destroying them in one hit each. Hitomi whooped in excitement.

"We're coming up on the dig site," Ron informed. "All personnel, standby for enemy contact. I want two people manning the vehicles at all times: I don't want them getting stolen."

The three machines arrived at the site, finding plenty of Geth standing between them and their goal.

"Orders, Captain?"

"Same as always," Ron said. "Sic em."

The group dismounted from the vehicles, and charged at the Geth. Hitomi was the first to strike, Biotic Charging into a Juggernaut, then slicing it and several nearby Troopers apart. Ashley advanced towards another cluster of Troopers, while Tali hit the central Armature with an Overload. Shepard sent two shots with her sniper rifle into the Armature's optics, while Nihlus hit it with a barrage from his assault rifle. Wrex did like Hitomi was doing, just charging in and striking everything he could.

Ron's team was quick, brutal, and simply merciless as their phaser rifles (all set to different modes) tore the Geth troops apart, especially as Ron kept alternating between split-beam, full-auto, the overpowered high-density mode and the simple semi-auto firing mode. The Geth were turned into burned masses of synthetic flesh and circuitry in less than four minutes.

Linda's team had also defeated their share of Geth, and soon they all gathered at the entrance to the dig. "Odds are rather high that we've got more Geth inside," Shepard informed. "Everyone, stay cautious."

Ron opened up his tricorder, which was a hybridized version of all three standard ones. Most of his crew had training in more than one field, so the tricorders, which had to be specially designed by the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, reflected that. 'They should seriously make more than the basics mandatory at the Academy.' "One Asari lifesign, 150 meters underground," he informed. "Looks to be trapped in some kind of gravity field. Sucks to be her."

"That's likely Dr. T'Soni," Shepard replied. "Let's hurry."

* * *

_**Underground - 5 minutes later**_

* * *

After dealing with more Geth assault drones, they had finally reached the underground dig site. And found their Asari lifesign.

She was floating in the air, separated from them by what looked like a blue energy field.

"Can you hear me out there?" she asked them. "I'm trapped. I need help!"

"Are you okay?" Shepard asked. "What happened to you?"

"Listen," she told her. "This thing I'm trapped in is a Prothean Security Device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it, alright?"

Ron examined the room. "Hmm...I think I know an easy way to get you loose." He pulled out the tricorder again, scanning the security field. "Huh. might be able to overload the field emitters, but it's not going to be pretty. Might cause a bit of an explosion."

"There are controls in here that should be able to free me, but you'll need to get past the Barrier Curtain first," she replied. "I knew it would keep me safe from the Geth, but I must have touched something I shouldn't have - it trapped me like this. And be careful - there's a Krogan working with the Geth. They've been trying to find their own way past the Barrier Curtain."

"This'll be interesting." The captain of the Ra-Calium looked at their resident Krogan battlemaster. "Want me to lend you the phaser rifle again?"

Wrex smiled at the thought of using that thing again. "Hell yes. That thing makes my day."

He tossed the weapon into the Krogan's hands. "I'll stay here and try to free her from here: two options are better than one, yes?"

"Right," Shepard replied. "We'll see if there's anything in that camp down below we can use."

Linda directed one of her team members to keep Ron covered, while the rest followed Shepard's Team down.

"I'll try to get your gun back to you in one piece! AHA!" Wrex enjoyed that phaser rifle too much.

"Keep a look out for anything that can get us past the barrier - oh." A big mining laser was a hell of a way past. '_Might also get us all killed, but it's a shot,_' Shepard thought. "Captain, we're going to use the mining laser to tunnel our way to another passage."

"Go right ahead," Ron replied. "I'll keep trying to free the good doctor on my end."

Of course, before they could activate the laser, they had to clear out the Geth from around the camp. It didn't take too long, and soon they activated the Mining Laser, burrowing a tunnel deeper into the column.

The team advanced down the hole, finding an elevator platform that carried them up to Liara's level.

"Your friend told me what you were doing. It's a good thing the Geth didn't think of that," Liara remarked. "There's a switch over there that should shut this off."

Shepard went to the console and activated the controls, deactivating both the security field around Liara and the Barrier Curtain.

"And I was just about to shut it off," Ron informed. "Good work, regardless."

"Thank you, Captain," Shepard replied. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Liara looked at the Starfleet personnel. "You're not Alliance," she said. "Who are you?"

"We'll explain when we get out of here, Doctor," Ron said, before he tapped his commbadge. "Pinkerton to Ra-Cailum: can you get a transporter lock onto us?"

"Negative, Captain," came the reply from the ship. "You need to be 300 meters higher before we can beam you back."

"Alright, then, let's get out of here," Linda remarked. "There looks like another elevator back where we came that should take us higher."

As they gathered at the elevator, Liara asked, "Why would the Geth come after me?" she asked. "Could Benezia be involved somehow?"

"The Geth, and Matriarch Benezia, are working for a Rogue Spectre named Saren," Hitomi informed. "And he's looking for something called the 'Conduit'. Would you know anything about that?"

"No" Liara replied. "I haven't seen my mother in years: I barely speak to her."

"Well, you might be speaking with her sometime-" Ron was interrupted as a tremor was felt throughout the cavern.

"What was that?" Tali asked.

"These ruins aren't stable," Liara informed. "That Mining Laser must have triggered a seismic event." She went over to the elevator controls and started it up. "We have to hurry. The whole place is caving in!"

"Well, fuck," Ron muttered. "Ra-Cailum, how far?!"

"_150 meters, sir! You're climbing upwards and we're getting a more clear lock on your signals, but there's still a bit of interference._"

Ron facepalmed. "I hate this universe. The second we're clear, beam us-" The elevator arrived, and they were surrounded by Geth led by a Krogan battlemaster. "Up. Aw, fuck."

"Surrender," the Battlemaster said. "Or don't: that would be more fun."

"In case you hadn't noticed, jackass, the entire place is coming down around us!" Ron yelled.

"Yes," the Battlemaster remarked. "Exhilarating, isn't it?"

The Starfleet personnel exchanged a look. "That sounded familiar."

"Yeah," Linda remarked. "He'd likely get along well with Klingons."

Shepard focused on the Battlemaster. "Thanks for getting rid of those energy fields for us," he was saying. "Hand the doctor over."

"Whatever it is you want, you're not getting it from me," Liara said.

"She'll stay with us, thanks," Shepard commented.

The Battlemaster shook his head. "Not an option," he said. "Saren wants her. And he always gets what he wants."

Before any more could be said, though, the _Normandy_, _Raging Tempest_, and _Ra-Cailum_ teams, along with Doctor T'Soni, vanished in swirling columns of light.

They reappeared in one of the _Ra-Cailum_'s transporter rooms.

"That was 145 meters, Lieutenant," Ron said. "Five meters short."

The Andorian tactical officer, who met them in the transporter room, shrugged. "We went into a lower orbit. I thought you would like to avoid a firefight down there."

"Wise thinking," Ron said. "Beam Commander Allster-Yamato, her team, and the _Normandy_ party to their respective ships. Once that's done-"

"All hands to battle stations! Unidentified vessel approaching!"

"We should still get back to our ships," Hitomi remarked. "And fast. You might also want to retrieve your buggies and the Mako, too, if you haven't already."

"Remodulate the shields and send them back to their ships," Ron ordered. "Riza, with me: back to the bridge."

Liara, still slightly in shock over the transport, tried demanding to know what was going on, but was interrupted mid-sentence as she and the rest were beamed to the _Normandy_ or _Raging Tempest_, depending on their universe of origin.

"You enjoyed that," Riza said.

"You're damn right," Ron replied.

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

"Linda's team is back aboard, sir," Rina reported.

Takeshi nodded, glad that his wife was safely aboard again. "Alright," he said. "Kim, any matches from the 'Local' Database?"

"Partially," Kim replied. "The profile seems similar to a cruiser-type used by the Batarians, but it's not a 100% match. It looks… altered."

"On screen," Takeshi ordered.

Soon enough, an image of the cruiser appeared on the main viewer.

The cruiser looked like it had armor plating tacked onto it, as well as more parts, including a larger impulse drive. It reminded them of the Arctic transport that was assimilated by the Borg back in 2252 when they were woke the drones that tried to stop First Contact.

"Oh, don't tell me…" Takeshi muttered.

"They're hailing us," Rina reported.

Takeshi sighed. He was pretty sure he knew what he was about to hear. "On speakers."

Rina complied, putting the message up.

"_We are the Borg,_" the echoey, mechanical voice associated with the Collective said. "_Lower your shields and surrender your ships. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is Futile._"

"Bloody hell," Takeshi swore. "And I was hoping they hadn't come to this universe with us."

The Borgified cruiser locked its' weapons onto the _Raging Tempest_, intending to disable the ship before assimilating it, as per usual. This made sense, as the Tempest was far more advanced than the Batarian warship that had been assimilated. Takeshi was VERY tempted to quantum torpedo spam the ship into non-existence, but that thought rudely reminded him of their torpedo situation.

'_Right, can't use the Torpedoes as freely as I want,_' he thought. '_Phasers are another story._' "Tholra, set the Cannons to Rapid Fire Mode," he ordered. "Ready a volley of four Quantum Torpedoes, just to be on the safe side."

"Aye Captain," Tholra replied.

Takeshi pushed his Manual Impulse Throttle all the way to full. "Let's take this thing out!"

The Tactical Escort shot forward, Phaser Cannons spewing out volleys of fire at the enemy ship.

The pulse cannon fire ate away at the Batarian ship's titanium hull, but the Borg quickly adapted as the shots became less effective. Takeshi forgot to set his weapons to a rotating modulation. Considering he wasn't expecting to fight the Borg any time soon, that was excusable.

Two phaser beams from the Ra-Cailum stuck the ships' rear section, causing a minor hull breach before firing two photon torpedoes into the upgraded impulse engines. "_Captain, target the enhanced sections,_" Ron ordered. "_They're still unstable, and we might be able to blow that thing to hell in one or two shots!_"

"Roger that!" Takeshi replied, corkscrewing around the Borg ship as he combined Attack Pattern Omega with some normally Evasive Maneuvers to put him right behind the enemy, even as Tholra set the Phasers to rotating modulations.

Takeshi fired off another burst of cannon fire, chewing further into the enemy ship, before he pressed the secondary trigger on his Manual Steering Column, firing off that volley of Quantum Torpedoes.

The Torpedoes detonated, destroying the Borg ship in one titanic explosion.

"_Good work, Captain, but I believe you forgot that I sent you a load of photon torpedoes,_" Ron said. "_We can't waste our quantums on weak targets like this one. Regardless, we have a new problem, and the Council's going to need to be informed of it._"

Takeshi sighed. Yeah, he had forgotten about the Photons. "Right," he said. "I'll try to remember to use the Photons from now on. And you're right. With the Borg here, things just got a lot more complicated."

* * *

_**The Citadel - Councilor Tevos' office**_

* * *

The Asari representative on the Council blinked as she received a message from the _Raging Tempest_ and the _Ra-Cailum_. '_Perhaps their mission was a success._' She activated the QEC, and the two Starfleet captains appeared, as well as Commander Shepard and Lieutenant Yamato. "Captains. Commander. Lieutenant. I trust your mission was a success?"

"_Yeah,_" Shepard replied. "_It was, but we have a new problem._"

"_As we were preparing to leave,_" Takeshi added, "_we came across another ship that had arrived in-system. We got a partial match on our 'Local' Database as a Batarian Cruiser, but it had been… altered._"

"Altered?" Tevos asked. "How? Enhanced shielding, weapons-"

Captain Pinkerton interrupted her question. "_Captain Yamato is using a pseudonym, Councilor,_" he said. "_The cruiser was assimilated by the Borg._"

"_Captain!_" Shepard exclaimed.

"_I'm not going to whitewash this, Commander,_" Ron informed. "_She needs to know._"

Tevos leaned back in her chair in shock. The Borg were in their universe. "Goddess," she said. "Captain Yamato, can you… describe what they did to the Batarian ship?" While she had seen Borg ships in Ron's mind, she had no idea what they did to ships they had captured for their own.

"_They added parts to it,_" Takeshi replied. "_More armor plating, weapons and engines they normally use… I don't know if they are still studying Eezo, or can't assimilate or adapt to it, but we weren't reading much in the way of Eezo signatures from it._"

Tevos wanted to bury her head in her hands. It took 40 Federation starships to slow ONE cube down, and they had more powerful ships than any of the Council races. Maybe even these… Reapers would stand little hope of fending them off for long. "I will attempt to warn the Batarian government, but they may not listen. Captains, I will have to ask of you a favor."

"_Name it, Councilor,_" Ron said. "_We'll try to accommodate._"

Tevos pinched the bridge of her nose before asking. "We need all of your data on alternate universes. We MUST contact your Federation and request assistance."

"_We'll do what we can,_" Takeshi replied. "_But contacting the Federation is likely easier said than done - what happened to get us here was a one in a million chance. I'm not sure what would happen if we attempt to replicate it, or even where we'd end up._"

"Any chance is better then none, Captain," Tevos said. "I will NOT risk the worlds of this galaxy being turned into mindless automations. Thank you, ladies, gentlemen." She ended the transmission with them as they nodded.

"It seems, Councilor, you have a problem," said an unknown voice.

Tevos looked into a dark corner of her office, finding a human woman wearing one of the Ra-Cailum's uniforms. "Who are you?" she asked. "How-"

"Captain Pinkerton has three modified Class-2 shuttles on his ship that he doesn't even know about. As for me..." The woman exited the shadows, revealing red hair and blue eyes on an attractive, if young, face. "You can call me Flay Allster. Section 31."

Tevos blinked a few times. "I'm… not quite familiar with that term," she admitted. "It never came up when I melded with Captain Pinkerton."

"That is because, officially, we do not exist," Flay replied. "We are the eyes and ears that answer to no one but the President, and even he simply gives us a blind eye to what we must do. Captain Pinkerton does not know we exist, although he has heard of a secret group within Starfleet Intelligence over his years in service."

Tevos leaned back in her chair. "What do you want, Miss Allster?"

Flay smiled. "To business, then," she said. "You want the Federation's help, but even if you make contact with them, the Federation council won't send one ship unless you have something that everyone else has: warp drive."

Tevos' eyes widened. "Warp Drive… your form of FTL?" she asked. "You would show us how to build it?"

Flay pulled out a PADD. "This contains the blueprints to the Phoenix, Earth's prototype warp ship, built by Zefram Cochrane back in the 2060s," she said. "Now, I could just tell you how to build it, but that has a problem in and of itself."

"What problem is that?" Tevos asked.

"If you build a working prototype on your first try, Captains Pinkerton and Yamato will know what happened, and once they find out that none of their crew are responsible for the leak, they'll find us. Section 31 MUST remain a secret."

Tevos understood. This woman worked for the Federation's version of the Spectres, only MUCH more secretive. "We'll need to make one or two failed attempts before we make the final one," she said, before a small smile flitted over her face. "Or, at the very least, intentional failures. The Salarians will likely understand this much better than I ever could, and even if they can build it perfectly on the first go, they can create engineered failures that seem genuine, to avoid suspicion."

Flay nodded in agreement. "I would add two more, as that was how many times Cochrane needed to perfect his first engine. After that, we can perform official first contact, and after that, we can eliminate the only remaining obstacle in the way of you receiving our assistance." She pressed three buttons on the PADD, which changed the display to show a document, reading, 'Request to become Protectorate of the United Federation of Planets'.

Tevos sighed. "Ah, yes," she said. "The one bane to government officials everywhere… the Goddess-damned _**paperwork**_."

Flay chuckled. "There is no government system that doesn't have it," she said. "Once your Asari Republics become a protectorate, you can submit a request to officially join the Federation. You can still have your seat on the Citadel Council, but you'll have a much bigger bite to match your bark with Federation-developed weapons. And the best part is..." Flay smirked. "Captain Pinkerton can't complain about it, as the Prime Directive would no longer apply to you, so long as non-Asari didn't get their hands on it. Do we have a deal, Councilor?"

She thought about it. It was definitely a very good deal for her people, and, to be honest, they relied on Eezo technology too much - and with the Reapers, she was beginning to think that might be a bad idea. "Yes," she said. "You have a deal. It's not just because of the Borg - these Reapers that Commander Shepard's group have found out about… something about the thought of them just rubs me wrong, and I fear that even if we didn't have the Borg to deal with, our own tech would not be enough to stop the Reapers."

Flay clapped her hands together, almost childishly. "Wonderful!" she said. "I will need you to inform your government about this, and unless needed, keep non-Asari out of the warp program. This deal only extends to the Asari. If the Turians or anyone else want to join the Federation, they'll have to do things the hard way."

"Backroom deals with your organization," Tevos said knowingly.

"I'm glad you understand, Councilor," Flay replied. "I'll go back to my shuttle. Enjoy the rest of your day."

She disappeared in a column of light, and Tevos cupped her chin in thought. This would need an in-person briefing for the leaders of the Republics. She pressed a button on her desk. "T'Vera, cancel all of my appointments and inform my counterparts that I will be taking a leave of absence for the time being," she said. "I'm going back to Thessia."

"Yes, Councilor," her secretary replied. Is there a reason for the leave?"

"Yes," Tevos said. "Political. I can't tell you about it."

"Understood, Councilor."

* * *

**Ron the True Fan: Oh, hello, Section 31. Playing the game of thrones, are we now?**

**Takeshi Yamato: With the Reapers and now the Borg, you have to admit it is somewhat needed. The Reapers were bad enough in canon - they were eventually beaten, but it was incredibly bloody in the end. With the Borg here, the races of the galaxy are screwed if we can't get Starfleet here and give the locals Trek Technology.**

**And how many of you would have ever guessed that we would have made Flay Allster a Section 31 Agent?**

**Ron the True Fan: Time for the fun part. We'll see you all next time. Until then...**

**Both: Ja Ne!**


	3. Chapter 2: All Warfare is Based

Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!

Takeshi Yamato: We also don't own Mass Effect, or anything else that might make a cameo in this story… what can I say, I love importing things from other franchises and tweaking them to fit the destination! It still belongs to whomever created it, though.

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy** _**- half an hour after the events of Chapter 1**_

* * *

Hitomi stepped into Shepard's quarters. "Hey, Nicole, you got a minute?" she asked.

The Commander nodded. "Sure. Come in." Hitomi walked into the room, closing the door in the process. "What's up, Hitomi?"

"Well, just been thinking about things," Hitomi replied. "The fact that we both became Spectres, dealing with everything involving Saren… now the Borg… things are a lot different than our N7 Training."

"Who would've thought that we would be working with humans and aliens from an alternate universe, for one?" Shepard remarked. "Still, one of them is pretty strict."

"He's just trying to protect us," Hitomi replied. "Not just from the Reapers and the Borg, but from his technology and our own stupidity. Can you imagine the abuse we would make with some of that weaponry?"

Shepard nodded. "Yeah, you do have a point there," she said.

"Still, I… with everything that's out there, things are a lot more dangerous now," Hitomi said, as she began walking closer to her good friend. "If either of us slips up, or makes the wrong decision, so many people could die, even us."

"We'll make the right choice," Shepard said confidently. "We have to." Trillions of lives hinged on it.

"Yeah, I know," Hitomi replied. "Still, in case anything happens, I… I want to live my life without any regrets." She was looking rather nervous now as she stepped right next to Shepard. "To that end, Nicole, I… I…" unable to say any more, Hitomi simply let her actions speak for her, and leaned forward, claiming Shepard's lips with her own.

Shepard was VERY surprised to say the least, but she wasn't fighting it. If anything, she returned the favor with equal force. Of course, all good things...

"_Bridge to Commander Shepard._"

Must come to an end.

The two reluctantly parted from the kiss, and Shepard sighed. "What is it, Joker?" she asked.

"_Captains Pinkerton and Yamato want to get you briefed on the intel they just got from the Council,_" Joker replied. "_They - Hey, were you two kissing?_"

"SHUT UP, JOKER!" Female anger was not to be fucked with, even in the 22nd Century.

"_Sheesh, I'll leave you alone!_" The comm cut out, and the two were alone again.

"Well, I guess we should go, huh?" Hitomi asked.

"Yeah, probably should," Shepard replied.

"Before we head out, Nicole," Hitomi began, "I just want to say… I… I love you. I think I started falling for you after you saved me at Elysium, but I can't really be sure if my feelings for you were developing past friendship before then."

Shepard smiled before kissing Hitomi, surprising the latter this time. "I love you, too," she informed. "But we can't keep those two waiting. We'll have to catch up later." The 'later' was said almost seductively.

Hitomi's cheeks flushed red. "Y… yeah," she said. "L… later."

The two then headed to the comm room, the trip between the Captain's Quarters and the comm room allowing Hitomi to school her expression back to normal.

Once the link was opened, Shepard said, "So, Captains, we have more news?"

"_We've gotten more information on Saren's route,_" Ron replied. "_He paid a visit to a colony named Feros - did we interrupt something between you two, because you're both slightly flushed._"

Both women froze at the Commodore's statement. '_How the HELL did he notice?!_' "Uh…"

"_Relax, Commander,_" Ron said. "_Homosexual relationships are perfectly acceptable in the Federation. They're just very rare. Shyness is quite dominant, no matter which century you're in._"

"But how did you know?" Hitomi asked.

Ron pointed at his eyes. "_Enhanced with Borg visual technology. I can see the entire EM spectrum, and I can enhance any image I see. Because you're using low-quality holographics, I'm using the enhancement option._"

Shepard sighed. Well, as long as he noticed it… "Yes, you did interrupt something," she said. "But business before pleasure, as is always said. So, Saren was seen at Feros?"

"_That's right,_" Takeshi replied. "_Furthermore, it's currently being attacked by Geth. I doubt that's a coincidence._"

"VERY doubtful," Hitomi agreed. "Do you think we can stop them?"

"_The _Ra-Cailum _and _Raging Tempest _are the two most powerful ships in the galaxy at the moment,_" Ron replied. "_I think we might need to hold back._" While it sounded much like a joke, it wasn't. The two ships were overpowered for this universe. The only ship that was a match for them (and barely) was that Borgified Batarian cruiser.

"Captain, I think we're going to need those transporters of yours," Shepard informed. "We need to get to the ground quickly."

"_Consider it done,_" Ron said. "_A site-to-site transport is easy for us._"

"Good," Shepard replied. "We'll head out now - shouldn't take us too long to get there."

"_My apologies for interrupting. _Ra-Cailum _out._" Ron's image faded from the holographic viewer.

"Joker!" Shepard called out over the Intercom. "Get us moving towards Feros! The sooner we get there, the better."

"_Aye-aye, Commander,_" Joker replied. "_We'll be there as quick as we can._"

* * *

_**Thessia, capital/homeworld of the Asari Republics**_

* * *

While most of the information had to be delivered in person, Tevos HAD sent a heavily encrypted file concerning Flay's offer to the homeworld five minutes after the Section 31 operative left her office. Notably, it was causing one hell of a stir.

"We already have a Prothean beacon," the head Matriarch said to Tevos. "Why do we need the help of an extra-universal power to fend off the Reapers?"

"The Reapers are no longer the largest threat, Matriarch," Tevos said as the images of the Battle of Wolf 359, supplied from the _Ra-Cailum_'s historical database, appeared on the holographic screens. "The Borg, another force from their universe, is here as well."

"What are these 'Borg'?" the Matriarch asked.

"It would take too long to conventionally explain all that I learned from Captain Pinkerton," Tevos replied. "I know this isn't something that is done lightly, but I feel that melding with you and sharing what he showed me would be the fastest way."

The Matriarch stood up and approached the councilor. "Proceed, Councilor. We need to know." Tevos placed her hands on the Matriarch's face, and the melding began. Seconds later, it was broken off, but only because the Matriarch had gotten everything she needed. Or wanted to see: the memories were EXTREMELY disturbing. "Goddess, that's nightmarish!" she said.

"I know," Tevos replied. "Captain Pinkerton himself was once a drone, but was rescued from the Collective. This offer will not only save us from the Borg and the Reapers, but ensure the safety of all Asari. Federation protection, and eventual membership, is something we are going to need if we are going to survive."

The Matriarch nodded. "Agreed," she said. "We don't have the same quality of scientists the Salarians do, but we should be able to figure out those Blueprints for a Warp Drive soon enough."

"We'll need to have a few failed attempts, even if we have to stage them," Tevos informed. "Miss Allster advised me that if we do it too easily, they'll get suspicious - and given that their 'Section 31' is their answer to the Spectres, only so secretive as to be off almost every form of record, Captains Pinkerton and Yamato getting suspicious is the last thing we need."

"Very well," the Matriarch replied. "I will have the science division work on an Asari-based design for our warp ship. While the blueprints for this… _Phoenix_… will be useful, we cannot base ALL of the work on this design. Suspicion must be low as possible."

"We can always claim we took inspiration from the _Ra-Cailum_'s design if they say anything," Tevos ventured. The basic design of the ship gave them a partial hint for a ship that could fly at warp for long periods.

"I will inform the designers and our shipyard personnel that we are going to be modifying one of our cruisers for warp drive experimentation," the Matriarch replied. "If the basics work out… how does first contact usually play out?"

"According to the datafiles, an official delegation is sent to make contact, and negotiations go from there," Tevos replied. "Of course, going from there to Protectorate status involves that one hell no one can escape… _**paperwork**_."

"Bureaucracy is a necessary evil," the Matriarch said. "We will need someone to represent us on the Federation Council when the day finally comes that we join them. We have a great deal to learn from them."

"And they from us, Matriarch," Tevos replied.

"You are dismissed, Councilor. Inform Miss Allster that the Asari Republics accept her deal."

* * *

_**Feros orbit - SSV **_**Normandy**

* * *

"Approaching Feros now," Joker reported. "Can see a couple Geth Cruisers in orbit."

"We can sneak past them, but the _Raging Tempest_ and _Ra-Cailum_ can't," Shepard remarked. "Commodore, think you can get rid of the Geth problem in orbit?"

"_Consider it done,_" Ron replied. "_Takeshi, attack pattern delta: hit the one to port. Phasers only: don't waste your torpedoes. We'll take care of the other one before beaming the Normandy team down to the surface._"

"_Roger that,_" Takeshi replied. "_I won't tempt Murphy by saying any ways in which this could get worse, but it seems straightforward enough._"

The two heavily armed ships moved into position as the _Raging Tempest_ fired her pulse cannons at the portside cruiser, punching through the barriers, blowing apart or even melting the weak (compared to the two Starfleet ships) titanium hull before the Geth warship exploded.

The _Ra-Cailum_ simply hacked the other one in half with two phaser beams fired from the ventral array.

"Those guys love overkill," Joker remarked.

"I don't think overkill really applies to them, Joker," Kaidan replied.

Hitomi chuckled. "Maxim 37," she said. "There is no 'Overkill'. There is only 'Open Fire' and 'I need to Reload'." When everyone sent looks her way, she asked, "What? None of you ever read the old cartoon _Schlock Mercenary_?"

"No, but I think we should. Way's clear for us to land, Commander," Joker informed.

"Set her down, Joker," Shepard replied. "Commodore, energize."

The assault team was beamed off the Normandy and for a brief moment, they appeared on the _Ra-Cailum_ before ending up on the planet's surface.

"That felt… weird," Garrus informed.

"I do admit, that was a bit different than just going from one location to their Transporter Room, or vice versa," Shepard replied. She then drew her Mantis. "Let's get going. We need to clear away the Geth troops still on the ground, then find out just why they're attacking this place."

The colonists were only a few meters away, and when they saw the team, they nearly shit their pants. "How the hell did you get here?!" one asked. "We didn't see a ship land!"

"It's a long story," Shepard replied. "Who's in charge here?"

Before anyone could answer, a rocket hit the unfortunate colonist, fired from a Geth Rocket Trooper. "Damn it! Kill those things!"

Wrex grinned. "Music to my ears!"

The Krogan charged, firing his shotgun at the Geth to drop its shields as he kept running, body-checking it and sending it flying into a wall… then through it… then through another couple walls. Wrex, meanwhile, was busy unloading his shotgun into a bunch of other Geth Troopers.

"Wrex the wrecking ball," Shepard remarked.

"That he is," Garrus replied.

The aforementioned Krogan wrecking ball went through another Geth and two more walls before finally coming to a stop. His shotgun was completely ruined, but he was pleased with himself. It wasn't that often that he got to demolish a building without suffering the consequences. Still, his shotgun was useless. "Aw, shit," he said. "I'm going to need a new gun."

Shepard shook her head at that comment.

"Ra-Cailum _to _Shepard," Ron's voice said over their communications link. "_Is the beam-in site secure?_"

"It's secure," Shepard replied. "Wrex steamrolled a cluster of Geth nearby, breaking a few walls and his shotgun in the process, but the site is clear."

"_I KNEW there was a reason I like him!_" Ron exclaimed. "_I'll get him an extra phaser rifle: God knows he LOVES these things. We'll be down in a moment._"

Shepard pictured Wrex and the rifle again, then paled at the amount of damage he would do with it. After a moment, a security team beamed down, including Ron and Sonja, the latter of which was holding what appeared to be... "Is that a rocket launcher?"

"M201A1 FLASH, modified to fire photon warhead-tipped rockets," Sonja replied. "The boss likes having a lot of firepower in an easy to make package."

Hitomi had wondered why that thing looked so old: it was a 20th Century design that had been modified for the 25th Century.

"Anyway, let's go find and clear the rest of the Geth," Shepard said. "The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can start investigating."

Ron glanced at Wrex before tossing him another phaser rifle, this one being of a similar build to the compression rifle Takeshi used back on the Citadel. "It's just like the one I usually use, but it's got the shotgun cone mode as well. It's an all-in-one tool of doom."

Wrex smiled evilly at the mention of the shotgun mode. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," the Krogan said as he charged off, likely to test his new weapon.

"I thought all of your weapons were single-type," Kaidan remarked.

"That's a common misconception," Ron informed. "We just keep them on one firing mode most of the time."

Hitomi nodded. "Well, let's go," she said. "Don't want to let Wrex have all the fun." She ran off after Wrex.

The Krogan wrecking ball created another Wrex-shaped hole in the walls while the Alliance/Starfleet assault team made their way toward the colony itself, taking out any Geth Wrex missed. Considering he was barrelling through the walls, that left quite a few behind. "Good thing I had that rifle reinforced with tritanium. With the beating Wrex gave that shotgun, I'd be surprised if it lasted five minutes in his care."

"The stuff's common enough that you've got a supply on your ship?"

Ron paused before nervously chuckling. "Uh… it's complicated. Prime Directive."

Eventually, they made it to the main colony, Wrex smashing through one last wall. They were quickly pointed in the direction of the colony leader, Fai Dan.

"Oh, Commander," Fai Dan remarked when they arrived. "I'm glad they finally sent somebody to help us."

"A bit late, aren't you?" the woman next to him asked.

"That's enough," Shepard replied. "What's the situation?"

"The Geth have been attacking for weeks," Fai Dan informed. We're running out of supplies: water, food, things like that. We won't last much longer."

"We can beam down basic provisions and supplies, as well as medical teams to patch up your people," Ron informed. "We've got more then enough medical personnel."

"Beam? What are you talking about?" Fai Dan asked.

"Likely easier to show than explain," Hitomi remarked. "Ron?"

Ron tapped his commbadge. "Pinkerton to _Ra-Cailum_: we're going to need a large number of medical personnel, supplies and security teams down here," he informed. "Think you can transport them down in less than five minutes?"

"_Aye, sir,_" came the reply. "_We'll even send down the Titanoboas if you want._"

"Do it," he ordered. "We're going to need more firepower down here: there's a LOT of geth down here."

"_Understood,_" was the reply. Soon enough, the first team beamed down, with a few crates of supplies.

"How…"

"It's a very complicated process to explain, and I'm actually not allowed to tell you how it works," Ron informed. "Just be happy they can't cut off our supply lines from the ship." He smiled as more security personnel arrived, allowing them to press onward. "Lieutenant, secure this compound! I want NOTHING getting in that is not organic! Am I clear?"

"Aye, sir!"

Ron looked back at Shepard. "We're going to need to move on to the Geth drop point," Ron said. "I'd order an orbital strike, but I don't think anyone would like me to use a matter/antimatter torpedo to blow up half a city."

Shepard nodded. "Right," she said, before turning to Fai Dan. "Any idea where they landed, or what they want?"

"No clue what they want," Fai Dan replied. "They came and they attacked, and that's all we know. As to where their base is, it's the ExoGeni headquarters. That would be a good place to go if you want answers."

"ExoGeni… that's one of the major interplanetary corporations, right?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes," Arcelia, the woman with Fai Dan, replied. "They funded this colony, and we were all working with them before the attacks. The Skyway will get you there, but it's practically overrun with Geth."

The two buggies with the overpowered phaser cannons drove toward the exit to the colony, along with the Normandy's Mako, which had been beamed off the ship (much to the shock of just about everyone there) to provide extra fire support. "I think we've got it covered," Ron said. "Anyone from the Normandy who wants to hitch a ride on the titanoboas are free to do so. If not, that's your choice. Let's move out, people!"

"Very 'take charge' kind of guy, ain't he?" Kaidan remarked.

"I think he's just tired of not being able to make things explode," Shepard replied. "Come on: we've got Geth to blow up. Hitomi, you're with me on the Mako."

"I'll join Captain Pinkerton on one of the Titanoboas," Wrex informed almost immediately. "I'd like to try one of those guns."

"I'll go for the buggies, too," Kaidan added. "I've seen you drive, Commander."

Shepard and Hitomi shook their heads as they walked to the Mako, followed by Garrus, who had taken a liking to the IFV. Ron took the driver's seat in one of the two death machines, with Wrex jumping onto the rear turret. "Bit snug, Pinkerton," Wrex informed.

"Well, we didn't build these things were Krogan in mind," Ron replied. "I'll have Sonja fix that when we get back. Not to mention have the doctor look you over."

"For what?" Wrex asked.

"That plague in your blood, the genophage," Ron answered. "Might be able to get rid of it."

Before Wrex, stunned as he was by the chance that a stranger would simply make a cure for the plague killing his people, could reply, Ron gunned the Titanoboa forward, racing toward the ExoGeni complex down the old Prothean road. "Pinkerton to all teams: I want 360 degrees of fire from all vehicles! Keep your firing lines open, your sights clear of friendly targets and your weapons hot! I want NOTHING Geth left standing! Am I clear?!"

"_Yes sir!_" came the reply from the other Titanoboa.

"_Got it!_" Shepard replied from the Mako. "_And any I don't shoot, I'll steamroll._"

"_Wait, _**what?!**" Garrus asked in a bit of incredulous shock.

The Geth on the Skyway saw them coming, and deployed three armatures to try and stop them. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," Wrex said, then roared as he fired the phaser cannon in full auto, punching through the barriers and melting the armature before the four-ton buggy rammed the Geth weapons platform, knocking it down. "I AM URDNOT WREX, AND THIS IS MY BIG FUCKING GUN!" he yelled out.

"I think you'd make a hell of an addition to Starfleet, Wrex! We don't have anyone like you making everything scream before they explode!"

"Ha!" Wrex cheered. "We're warriors, Pinkerton! We fight until one of two outcomes: either we die or everything else does!"

Ron smirked as he thought of Wrex doing his wrecking ball thing against the Borg. 'Oh, yeah. That's going to happen.'

Meanwhile, on the Mako…

"STOP THE RIDE! I WANNA GET OFF!"

"DON'T BE SUCH A PANSY, GARRUS! IT'S FUN!"

…Garrus was learning the horrors of driving with Shepard and Hitomi, as they just charged headlong, the guns blazing out against any Geth too large for them to simply run over.

The Geth might have been emotionless, but they would be learning fear sometime soon. Two Starfleet-built buggies and a Mako driven by a crazy woman were blowing up their platforms, and they weren't going to be putting up a fight much longer as Wrex fired the phaser cannon at the surviving Geth, who quickly retreated down the skyway.

"Hi-ho! Hi-ho! It's off to kill we go! With razor blades and hand grenades, hi-ho!" After a verse of that from the Captain, Wrex started singing it.

"Something tells me those two are going to become a terrifying duo," Kaidan remarked.

"Yeah," Liara replied. "Still, where did Shepard learn to drive?"

"I have a theory that she taught herself," Kaidan replied. "And seeing as how she was raised military and went from ship to ship as she grew up, my belief is that she taught herself how to drive on Makos - practically indestructible when not under fire, and even when under fire it takes a lot to bring them down."

The team stopped as soon as they hit an obstacle. That being a slab of stone around 20 meters thick blocking their way forward. "Aww, fuck," Ron complained. "We're going to have to get moving on foot."

"Damn it!" Wrex swore. "I was enjoying the gun, too!"

"You can pull it off the mount," Ron informed. "It's got a regenerating power cell, and it's got a handgrip."

Wrex smiled as he found the clip mounting and removed the cannon from the mount.

Garrus stumbled out of the Mako's open hatch. "FINALLY!" he yelled. "I thought I was going to die a few times in there!"

"Oh, come on, you were fine," Hitomi remarked.

"No, I was not!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Ron ordered.

The group entered a side tunnel, where they were shot at as soon as they entered sight of another room. "Not another step closer!" called out the person who shot them

Ron pulled out his phaser, setting it to wide beam. "I hate being shot at," he said. "Sure, my personal shields can take the shots, but I HATE being shot at." He fired, knocking the fool who shot at them out.

"Nice," Wrex said. "Should've been more lethal, though."

"Meh," Ron replied. "They're on edge: it's excusable."

They exited the corridor in full view of a security team.

"Relax, everyone," a woman called out. "They're obviously not Geth."

"The hell's going on here?" Hitomi asked. "I thought the only humans on the planet were at Zhu's Hope!"

"We picked up human lifesigns in scattered locations within a hundred square kilometers," Ron informed. "I didn't think to inform you." He put his phaser away. "Captain Ronald Pinkerton, Federation starship _Ra-Cailum_. You are?"

"Juliana Baynham, ExoGeni Corporation," the woman said. "The idiot you knocked out with your laser-"

"Phaser," Ron corrected.

"-is Ethan Jeong," Juliana continued. "How did you get here? I thought the geth were keeping everyone from landing."

"It helps having superior firepower. Is there anything I need to know about what the hell happened here?"

"Not much," Juliana replied. "They showed up, attacked, forced us to scatter and take cover wherever we could. My daughter Lizbeth is still inside our Headquarters building, though… I'm worried about her."

"She's probably alive if she's the only one left," Ron informed. "The sensors only picked up one human in the facility. If she's alive, we'll get her out of there, but our vehicles can't get past the debris. And since I'm not sure how strong the foundations are, I can't just shoot my way through them: I might cause half of what's left of the ruins to collapse."

"Can't we use those transporters of yours for another site-to-site beaming?" Hitomi asked.

"There's a fair bit of interference," Ron replied. "We could use pattern enhancers, but we'll need to be on the other side of the debris to place the rest."

"Commander, Captain!" Kaidan called out as he ran down the ramp to join them. "I found another path - there's a ramp that leads up to a higher level of the Skyway! It's big enough that it could likely fit three Makos side by side!"

"Guess we don't need to worry about the pattern enhancers just yet," Shepard remarked. "Don't worry, Mrs. Baynham - we'll find your daughter."

"More death with the buggies," Wrex said with a grin. "Mind if I have one after this?" Ron laughed at Wrex's request.

* * *

_**Kite's Nest cluster, Vular System**_

* * *

The Batarian Hegemony was powerful, but against the might of one of their own ships, enhanced by the Borg and being turned against them, turning more of them against the rest, there was no way they could stop a Borg ship that had some manner of controlling a mass effect field.

The Batarians were doing one of three things now: fighting to delay the Borg advance, dying, or being assimilated.

"Keep firing!" one of their lead admirals ordered. "That thing's barriers have to fail eventually!"

The Borg-controlled and enhanced cruiser fired two disruptor bolts at one of the lead frigates, disabling it before sending an overwhelming force of drones to assimilate everyone on board.

'_Vular system assimilation status: 40%,_' the Collective thought. '_Resistance of Species 11007, Batarian, is moderate. Deploying assimilation nanovirus into inhibited planet's atmosphere._'

Two of the frigates, serving in the normal role of the probe, began firing torpedoes into the atmosphere filled with the Borg nanovirus. Anyone or thing still on the surface had one fate: Borg.

The Batarians continued trying to fight back, though at this point it was hopeless. One ship tried heading for the Mass Relay in the cluster, to try warning the rest of the Hegemony, but the first Borgified Cruiser, the one that had started the attack, locked a tractor beam on it, preventing its escape.

The Batarian Hegemony was in dire straits.

And because they had ignored Tevos' warnings about the Borg, they would not know the full extent of their peril until it was too late.

* * *

Asari Republics shipyard in orbit of Agessia

* * *

The Asari cruiser _Threme _was the ship chosen for the successful warp drive tests that would allow them to join the Federation once they made contact with the other universe. As such, the ship was being modified in a hastily built yard in orbit while a prefab station began rebuilding several Asari fighters into prototype warp ships.

"I don't get why we need warp drive to join this Federation," the Matron in charge of the retrofit operation said. We're a spacefaring race: that's all we really need!"

Flay, who was reading an Asari book translated into English, looked at the Matron. "Starfleet's encountered spacefaring races that don't have warp drive. The Prime Directive still applied to them, as it does to you."

"Prime Directive?" the Matron asked.

Another Asari, who had had a chance to read up on the General Orders, said, "It's their highest order - they do not interfere technologically or culturally with another culture. It's basically to keep from influencing races that haven't advanced far enough to join their galactic community."

"Correct," Flay replied. "And the main determining factor that is used to determine if a species is ready for official contact or not is if they've developed warp drive." She paused. "It makes a decent amount of sense, being that warp drive is the primary FTL in our universe - but it doesn't really take into account universes where people have managed to develop alternate means of FTL travel."

"You might need to rewrite the rule after you go back home," the Matron replied.

"Maybe," Flay said. "For now, however, we need to make sure your ship is ready for the first warp test. your ships don't exactly have a shape that makes an efficient warp bubble, but all you need to do is make warp 1: light speed. After that..." She leaned back in her chair. "You'll be ready."

"And then what?" the Matron asked. "How long does it take for the process to get done?"

"Depends on the people. Bajor took 15 years to join the Federation, but that was after their occupation by the Cardassians and the rebuilding process. With the Asari... Less than a year to become a protectorate, and a few months to become a full-fledged member of the Federation." Flay stood up, straightening out her uniform. "I trust that you can finish the first fighter's retrofit without my being here? I will need to check in with Councilor Tevos in a few hours."

"Yes, we should be," the Matron replied. "It's proving a bit easier than expected, even if it isn't going to be perfectly successful."

"Good work. I see why the Asari are so valued in Council space. When the first ship is ready, inform Councilor Tevos. I will most likely be there with her." She pulled out her tricorder, pressing a few buttons before beaming out.

"That's something I'm not going to get used to," the Matron remarked.

"What, transporters?" the other Asari asked.

"Getting your atoms disassembled in one place and reassembled in another? Damn right," the Matron informed.

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

"Got something on Sensors, Captain," Kim reported from Sensors. "Looks like a few Geth Ships… and that thing from Eden Prime again."

Takeshi frowned. "I guess Saren decided to come personally, try and take us down," he remarked. "Let's see what he thinks of what we can do now that we're fully operational."

(**BGM: Charge! from **_**Star Trek: Deep Space Nine**_)

The _Raging Tempest_ turned toward the massive cuttlefish-like warship escorted by multiple Geth cruisers and frigates. The Geth fired on the Tempest, but Takeshi's piloting skills helped him avoid most of the fire, but two shots made contact with the shields.

"Shields down to 89%." Tholra reported

"The shields weren't designed to absorb railgun rounds, but I thought that we'd take more damage than that," Takeshi said before he opened fire with the pulse cannons, mindful of the quantum torpedo situation.

The first Geth cruiser fell quickly, the Phaser blasts punching through its barriers and into its Drive Core, causing it to explode as Takeshi banked right. A trio of Frigates came at him from behind, but he did a quick 180 and fired the cannons in Scatter Volley mode, the cone of fire shredding all three. He then brought his ship around to do a strafing run on a line of twelve frigates and two cruisers, cannons in Rapid Fire Mode as they tore through the enemy ships. Soon enough, the only ship left was the cuttlefish-like one.

The ship still bore scars from its' run-in with the _Ra-Cailum_, including a missing 'tendril'.

'_It's almost like the ship is a living thing, and a prideful one at that,_' Takeshi thought.

The cuttlefish fired a red beam of energy, not unlike that of a disruptor, at the _Raging Tempest_, striking the forward shields.

"Forward shields down to 81%!" Tholra reported. "Captain, that thing's weapons are only as powerful as a Klingon _D7_-Class cruiser at the turn of the 23rd century. And because element zero is less efficient at power transfer-"

"That means it's got a REALLY big power core!" Takeshi realized.

"Makes sense," Kim reported. "Using the Eezo detection mods, that thing's got a signature large enough it could be ESD's Reactor."

"Well, we'll still be taking that thing down," Takeshi informed, as he oriented the _Raging Tempest_ on it. "It may be insanely powerful compared to the local ships, but it's still incredibly outdated by our standards!" He charged in, firing off the pulse cannons on Rapid Fire Mode, sending a hail of Phaser Fire at the cuttlefish.

The titanium hull began to melt under the assault, and the cuttlefish turned to run the hell away, but not before hailing the _Raging Tempest_. "_**YOU WILL NOT STOP THE ARRIVAL. YOU ONLY DELAY YOUR SALVATION THROUGH YOUR END.**_" The cuttlefish jumped into FTL, bearing more scars courtesy of the Federation Starfleet.

"What the hell was that?" Rina asked. "That wasn't Saren's voice."

"I'm thinking there might be more to that thing than meets the eye," Kim reported. "I ran a lifeform scan, and all I got on that ship was a single lifesign, most likely Saren. Either it's easier to control than we thought, or it's run by a VI more intelligent than anything these people use - maybe even a full AI."

That wasn't a good sign. Computers were easy to corrupt, even AIs. If that thing ran into the Borg, and they managed to assimilate it… the results would not be good. The borg might even be able to adapt to Eezo if they gained the knowledge within that ship's memory core. "Status on the ground teams?" Takeshi asked.

"Captain Pinkerton is reporting that the people on the ground are being controlled by a sentient plant life form called a Thorian," Rina informed. "Due to the danger he's saying it poses, he's requesting that all personnel return to the ship… so to enact General Order 24."

Takeshi's eyes widened. General Order 24 was basically an extinction protocol, given when the only option for a situation was to cleanse a planet clean of life. It had only been ordered into action twice, and even then, it was NEVER done. "C… confirm that, please," he said, his throat seeming to dry.

"…confirmed," Rina reported after a moment. "He wants to evacuate the survivors, however, and will wait until all lifeforms sans the Thorian are removed from the planet."

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "Begin coordinating with the _Ra-Cailum_ - we'll aid the evacuation with our transporters as best we can, but they have much larger medical facilities, and we have enough passenger space for maybe a half-dozen VIPs."

* * *

_**Feros - Zhu's hope**_

* * *

Ron had ordered their weapons set to stun, as they weren't trying to kill the colonists. In the words of Wrex, 'mindless slaves make poor warriors that weren't worth a Krogan's time'. They got the feeling he actually pitied them for their situation.

Regardless, the colonists were getting shot and stunned by the security teams' phasers and phaser rifles, then tagged for transport. "As soon as we're done, we're beaming back to the _Ra-Cailum_ for full decon," Ron ordered. "We've been exposed to this shit, and I want to take NO chances!" He didn't trust the bio-filter for this.

"You're sure your medical tech can fix this?" Hitomi asked.

"There is very little we can't cure, given time, Lieutenant," Ron replied. "A few hours and we'll be right as rain."

"Ra-Cailum _to Pinkerton,_" came a message from Sonja, back on the ship.

Ron tapped his commbadge. "Pinkerton here."

"_We've located an Asari lifesign down there,_" Sonja replied. "_You're not going to like this, but it's inside a larger lifeform, and we can't get a pattern lock on it._"

Shepard groaned. "It's never easy, is it?" she asked. "Something tells me that larger lifeform is the Thorian itself."

"Sometimes, I hate my life," Ron replied. "Status on GO-Two-Four prep?"

"_Computations completed, Captain,_" Sonja informed, "_but… In my personal opinion, this seems highly extreme._"

"Sonja, this thing is as bad as the Borg, only more malevolent. If any of these spores leave this planet, a purely organic Borg collective will arise."

"_Understood,_" Sonja replied. "_Get that Asari, then get back here ASAP. _Ra-Cailum _out._" She then closed the comm channel.

"Let's hurry," Hitomi said. "We need to get this done, and now."

"Agreed," Ron replied. "We don't want to be down here when the timer reaches zero on GO24."

Kaidan asked the stupid question, seeing as Ron never elaborated on the details of the order in question. "What exactly is GO24?"

"General Order 24 is the protocol in Starfleet's rule books that authorizes a Starfleet captain to… make a planet incapable of supporting life," Ron informed. "In short, I'm going to turn this place into a molten wasteland."

The natives stopped moving at that. "WHAT?!" Kaidan exclaimed. "You're actually allowed to destroy the surface of a planet?! That's-"

"Extreme, yes, but so is the danger," Ron replied. "Let's get that Asari and get off this planet. We have 20 minutes before photon torpedoes start raining down on Feros, whether we are here or not."

"Right," Shepard replied, urgency in her voice. "Let's move, people!"

The group then began moving fast, seeking to make their way down to the Asari as fast as possible.

They made their way underground, through the tunnels to find their target. "Well, plants all look the same," Wrex was saying, "so how the hell are we… going… to…" he shut up as soon as they saw it: a large organism inside of a large chamber, looking much like an over-mutated potato. "The fuck is that thing?"

Shepard and Ron summed up their situation. "We're going to need bigger guns."

From a mass of tentacles near what seemed like a mouth, it dropped down an Asari-like figure, only it was green rather than blue.

"I… don't think that's the Asari we want," Hitomi remarked.

"Definitely not," Ron informed. "Tricorder's saying that this… thing is a plant-based lifeform: no actual Asari DNA."

"Intruders," the figure said. "You defile this place with your presence. A thousand feelers apprase you as meat, good only to dig or decompose."

"Or wipe your sorry ass from the face of the galaxy," Ron informed. "I've got a ship in orbit with enough firepower to turn this place into a smoldering cinder. So, I'm going to have to ask you to surrender the real Asari you've got holed up inside your body."

"No more will the Thorian listen to those that scurry!" the figure informed. "Your blood will feed the ground and the new growth!"

A blast from Wrex's Phaser Assault Cannon vaporized the figure. "Not likely," he remarked. "Still, looks like we get to do this the fun way!"

"Fuckin' A, we do!" Ron said. "Cut the bastard to death and get that Asari out! We've got 15 minutes before those ships start bombing the fuck out of the planet!"

The assault team split up, firing at plant-based copies of humanoids and more clones of the Asari that the Thorian kept regurgitating. due to the heavy use of phaser weapons, they were quickly dealt with. "Pinkerton, there's something here!" Wrex pointed at a growth that was embedded into one of the walls. "Think that's important?"

"That's a nerve cluster," Ron replied. "Shoot it."

They did. The node vaporized almost instantly, and they heard a screech from the Thorian.

"I think that hurt it," Hitomi remarked. "There's got to be more around here. What's our time?"

"13 minutes!" Ron replied. "I'd rather be in orbit at the five minute mark!" Wrex and Ron continued their hunt for the nodes while the others did the same, ripping into the Thorian like a tarantula tore into a mouse with its' fangs. The Thorian refused to die, however. "Ok, fuck this!" Ron stuck the Thorian with the assimilation tubules, injecting it with Borg nanoprobes under Ron's control. The Thorian didn't like that, and it was forced to vomit out another Asari.

This Asari, however, was blue-skinned. "Ron, is that the Asari we're looking for?" Hitomi asked.

"DNA readings match known Asari ones," Ron replied. "This is her. _Ra-Cailum_, beam us the fuck out of here!"

"_Copy that, Captain,_" Sonja replied. "_Locking on and energizing!_"

The team vanished from the planet's surface in swirling columns of light, leaving the Thorian as the only lifeform on the planet.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- Bridge**_

* * *

The captain entered the bridge, not needing an exam due to the Borg technology in his body. "Report," he ordered.

"Firing solutions are locked in, Captain," Sonja replied. "Weapons are ready."

Ron noted none of his crew were… comfortable with what was about to happen. "Everyone, I take no pride in doing this," he said. "General Order 24 was never meant to be used practically. I was the one who ordered it. I will be the one to perform the action. Please step away from your consoles."

They gratefully nodded, and stepped away from the consoles, allowing Ron to approach the Tactical Console.

"Captain Yamato, this is Captain Pinkerton," Ron said over the comm. "Please tell your personnel to step away from their consoles: if anyone is going to do this, it will be us. Might as well show we were the only ones that made the choice to do this." His index finger hovered over the firing button.

"_Understood,_" Takeshi replied somberly. A moment passed. "_Ready when you are._"

Ron closed his eyes. "Fire." He pressed the firing key, and the _Ra-Cailum_'s overpowered weapons began to unleash their fury as the phaser arrays hit key fault lines, splitting them open like an overripe onion before the ship fired a full volley of photon torpedoes, which began a degrading orbit to their final drop points: inside the planet.

The _Raging Tempest_ added to the fire, its pulse cannons spewing bolts of energy down onto the ground, punching deep tunnels into the ground that its own torpedoes, fired soon afterwards, would travel down.

The planet's volcanic activity was forcibly accelerated, and the planet began to turn into a molten ball of rock that the Excalibians would be quite happily live on. In five hours, Feros would become a volcanic world much like Excalibia for the next 50,000 years.

* * *

_**An hour Later - **_**Normandy** _**Comm Room**_

* * *

After dealing with the aftermath, making sure all the spores were purged from those on the ground, and taking care of a little something extra involving the Asari, Shiala, it was decided to contact the Citadel Council, inform them of everything that had happened.

"I don't think the council's going to be happy that Captain Pinkerton turned an entire planet into a volcanic wasteland," Hitomi said.

"I think they'll be more scared that those two ships can do that then being pissed off that it happened," Shepard replied.

The councilors appeared on the holographic displays. "_Commander, what do you have to report?_" Sparatus asked.

"We discovered what Saren wanted on Feros," Shepard explained. "A Prothean data file called the cypher, which had to be stored biologically."

"_Commander, is there a problem?_" Tevos asked. "_You seem… uneasy._"

Shepard sighed. "ExoGeni had found a new lifeform on Feros," she said. "A kind of sentient plant called the Thorian. We found that it had taken control of the colonists, and so Captain Pinkerton decided to evacuate everyone from the colony… then, when the Thorian was the only thing on the surface, he invoked and carried out another of their General Orders - Number 24."

Tevos froze at that. '_Someone's been reading the General Orders,_' Shepard thought.

"_General Order 24?_" Sparatus asked. "_I'm not familiar with that one._"

"It's basically a planetary cleansing order, councilor," Shepard replied. "The planet is to be made uninhabitable. The Captains executed the order as soon as everyone was off the surface."

Sparatus and Valern's eyes widened. "_I… I see…_" Valern said. "_Just… how did they do that?_"

"I didn't see it happen," Shepard informed. "We were in the Ra-Cailum's sick bay at the time, but the process involved the ships' main weapons arrays and projectiles called 'photon torpedoes', which use some kind of matter/antimatter warhead. They… turned the entire planet into a volcanic hellhole: nothing could survive down there."

The fact that only two ships did all of that, which would have taken entire fleets for the Council races, had stunned them into silence. "The worst part is… I think that they only needed ONE ship to do the job," Shepard concluded.

"_I… I see…_" Sparatus replied. "_Well, let's not discuss that any further at the moment._" Translation: it scared him so much he didn't really want to hear any more. "_What of the cypher?_"

"As I had the prothean beacon's data uploaded into my mind, the Asari put the Cypher inside of my mind. It's going to take some time to figure out, and I'm going to need the combined help of Dr. T'soni and the crews of the _Ra-Cailum_ and _Raging Tempest_ to figure it all out."

"_Agreed,_" Tevos replied. "_Do what you need to do, Commander. We will send you any data on Saren we manage to collect. In the meantime, recover from the experience and learn what you can._"

"Yes, ma'am," Shepard acknowledged.

The transmission cut out after that.

"Hey, Nicole, think we could go to your room for a bit?" Hitomi asked once the channel was closed.

Shepard smiled knowingly. "Of course."

Both Spectres left the comm room, leaving one confused Turian behind. "Do you know what Yamato wants with Shepard?" Garrus asked Nihlus.

Nihlus eyed his fellow turian, but only said one thing. "If you hear anything, you'll know."

That only made Garrus MORE confused.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- sick bay**_

* * *

Wrex laid on the biobed as Rutia scanned the Krogan and took a blood sample. "So, how old are you, Wrex?" Rutia asked.

"Old enough to kick the shit out of almost everything in the galaxy. What's the hovering shit for?"

The Trill put the blood sample in the molecular scanner, sifting through the blood for anything that wasn't supposed to be in Krogan DNA. "Captain Pinkerton wanted me to make sure I had a sample of the genophage to work on so I could kill it without killing the infectee," she said.

"I see," Wrex replied. "Well, that makes sense. Definitely hope you can cure it - Krogans are close to dying out, as is."

Rutia chuckled as she looked at the results. "Definitely weaponized," she remarked. "Ooh. Someone was naughty." She spun around to look at Wrex. "Someone enhanced the genophage about 15 years ago. Your people were evolving to overcome it."

"What?!" Wrex exclaimed.

"Your DNA was already starting to adapt to the original genophage on its own," she replied, showing him the readings. "But about 15 years ago, someone made alterations to the genophage to counter those adaptations."

Wrex knew EXACTLY who did that. "The fucking Salarian Task Group! They enhanced the fucking genophage! If I get my hands on them-"

"According to the database, Salarians don't live very long: 30 is their 150," Rutia informed, waving her hand dismissively. "It's likely the team who did the job are already dead." She smirked. "But I can cure this with EASE. A few days, and-" She snapped her fingers. "No more genophage. I can even make it so they can't infect you with another version of the genophage."

Wrex pondered that, then grinned savagely. "Do it," he said. "It's time the Krogans were free of the genophage, and stopped coddling our children for fear we might lose them - that kills us even more than the genophage does."

"You want your people to look to the future while respecting your traditions instead of clinging to the past and fearing the present," Rutia acknowledged. "That'll work. The only issue is how I'm going to cure all of the Krogan. Even if we can get them all in one place, curing them-" she paused. "I have a way. I just need a shuttle and a few photon torpedoes to do the job."

"Photon Torpedoes?" Wrex asked. "Those fancy projectiles you have? What would you need them for?"

Rutia opened up a historical file. "In 2378, the USS _Voyager _used them to deliver a catalyst that removed contaminated antimatter from the atmosphere. I can do the same thing here: use the torpedoes to deliver the cure. That still brings up the 'getting all of the Krogan to one place' problem."

"Yeah…" Wrex replied. "I do have an idea, though - if I can make it to the head of Clan Urdnot, I can possibly issue a meeting for all the clans on our homeworld, Tuchanka. Once we're there, you could fire your modified torpedoes, disperse the cure, and in a few days, we're all free of the genophage."

Rutia cupped her chin in thought. "It's going to take masterful timing. I'm probably going to lose my career over this, but dooming a race to near-sterility… it's wrong. Even in war, there are rules. And this… is WRONG."

Wrex was liking this doctor. Hell, he was liking the entire crew. Sure, they looked wimpy, but that human book he read once proved true: all warfare is based on deception. And DAMN, were these Starfleet people good at that! They put up this facade of being weak, but once the bullets started flying, they fucked shit up. "Think you can get me one of those phaser rifles?" he asked. "I'm going to need it on Tuchanka."

Rutia tsked before walking over to her office. "Considering the state of the galaxy where I'm from…" She walked back out with TWO phaser rifles, both the same type he used on Feros. "I always keep a pair handy."

"HA!" Wrex crowed. "I like this ship! The crew UNDERSTANDS!"

* * *

_**Citadel - Councilor Valern's Office**_

* * *

Valern was busy going over the report from Shepard's mission to Feros… and the limited military analyses the Turians had come up with after the initial reception of the reports.

The weapons on both ships were beyond anything they had, and the smaller ship, the _Raging Tempest_, was likely in the same realm as the _Destiny Ascension_ in terms of firepower, if not BEYOND the _Destiny Ascension_. Even the dreadnought that attacked Eden Prime would likely not be in the same league. And the larger one, the _Ra-Cailum_, was even MORE powerful than the _Raging Tempest_. If the Union faced the Federation in combat, there was only one thing they could do.

Die.

En masse. '_And according to Tevos, the _Ra-Cailum _is a light battleship compared to this… _Odyssey_-Class,_' he thought. He didn't want to think about that one. "This is going to be a political nightmare."

"I'd say so, Councilor," came a voice from the shadows.

Valern chuckled a bit. "I was wondering when you were planning to reveal yourself," he said.

The redhaired woman stepped out of the shadows, chuckling. "I see that the spymaster mentality extends to EVERY Salarian," she said. "You would make wonderful Starfleet Intelligence operatives."

"That we can," he said. "Who are you? Your uniform belongs to those from the _Ra-Cailum_, but your undershirt is black."

"I'm not a member of the Captain's regular crew," she replied. "He doesn't even know I came on board his ship. My name is Flay Allster. I belong to Starfleet Intelligence, Section 31."

Valern nodded. "I heard a mention of your organization," he said. "STG occasionally bugs government offices of the other governments just to see what's going on, and the Asari Matriarch's Office was bugged only a few days before she had a conversation with Councilor Tevos. According to Tevos, your group is your government's answer to our Spectres, only much more secretive."

"I figured as much," Flay replied. "We would have done the same. In fact, we HAVE done the same. We're just better at it. Did you know, Councilor, that I intercepted those transmissions that you received? Secure lines, yes, but I'm a fucking spy: my JOB is to do that. And I have an offer for you and your government."

"Protectorate status, with eventual full membership in the Federation?" Valern asked.

"Indeed," she replied. "However, you will still need warp drive to get around the Prime Directive." She handed him the PADD containing the _Phoenix_ Blueprints. "Given your reputation as scientists, it might be a bit more plausible for you to achieve warp capability on your own with fewer failed attempts."

"Two failures will be needed to make it seem more natural," he said. "Are you sure that neither of the Starfleet crews knows about… this? The download must have been recorded."

"Oh, don't worry," Flay replied. "This came from my shuttle's computer core: they know NOTHING of our presence. Perhaps I don't need to tell you that I was never here… or that I gave you that data?"

Valern smiled, or at least smiled like a Salarian. "I am sorry, young lady, but what are you talking about? My memory is… failing me today."

Flay smirked. "Thank you," she said. "Good day, Councilor." She then beamed back to her shuttle.

Valern hid the PADD before informing his personal VI to erase all of the information recorded in the office. C-Sec didn't need to know about this meeting. '_I am quite thankful for the training I got back in STG,_' he thought.

* * *

_**Palaven - Turian Hierarchy Military Intelligence Headquarters**_

* * *

The military analysts were doing one of two things: drooling at the military knowledge the Starfleet ships had locked in their computers or shitting their pants out of fear of their weaponry. Some were doing both. General Corinthus and General Adrien Victus looked over the limited data given to them from the _Ra-Cailum_'s historical database. "So, what can you tell us about the rest of this Federation Starfleet?" Victus asked.

Two Hierarchy military analysts glanced at one another before looking back at the two generals. "Starfleet's ships are primarily built for exploratory reasons, but they are VERY heavily armed despite that," one analyst said. An image of a starship, USS _Galaxy_ NX-70637, appeared above the holographic projector. "This ship, the _Galaxy_-class, is the ship least built for combat. It has a crew of over one thousand personnel, Starfleet AND civilian, but the sheer size of the ship allows it to mount 12 energy weapons arrays and two torpedo launchers, one in the aft quarter and one in the fore quarter."

"Civilians?" Corinthus asked. "On a military ship?"

"There's more," said the analyst as a three-nacelle version replaced the Galaxy's image. "This is the _Devron_-Class, also called the Galaxy-X."

"Wonder why they call it that," Victus said. "Still, that third nacelle gives it an interesting look."

"This is a pure battleship: heavy-duty shielding, more powerful phaser banks, and a main gun that makes me question if we want to face them in combat."

"A main gun?" Victus asked.

The second analyst pointed at the saucer section's underside. There was a spinal-mounted cannon facing forward. "They call it the 'spinal phaser lance'," he said. Footage of the lance in action, supplied mostly for recognition purposes if anyone ran into the ships in question, showed it destroying a cruiser-sized green vessel, cracking it in half with two shots. "That was a…" He checked the datapad. "'Klingon Empire _Vor'cha_-Class heavy attack cruiser'. Top of the line warship, if the files are correct."

Both generals froze as soon as that was said. "Uh… is there a smaller class of ship?" Corinthus asked.

"Yes," the first Analyst said. A ship that looked like a saucer attached to a cone-shaped engineering section with two straight pylons connecting to two round nacelles replaced the _Devron_. The ship was titled USS Defiant NCC-1764. "_Constitution_-Class, circa 2266. Eight 'phaser banks' and two torpedo launchers. This is one of the most famous ships in the Starfleet."

Victus looked at the rather… antiquated design. "The ship looks like a novelty item from one of those shops on Earth," he said. He had no problem with humans - if anything, both the galaxy and the humans had a lot to learn from one another - but that was a curious quirk they had.

"The design may look odd," the first analyst said, "but according to what little data the Salarians have gathered, the ship's odd appearance mostly comes from the rather arcane science of warp drive. However, in terms of ships that we can match in combat, this ship and her ilk are dreadnoughts."

Corinthus blinked. "How… large is the _Constitution_-Class?" he asked.

"According to the datafile…" the analyst checked the file on the _Constitution_-Class. "285 meters."

"You're telling me that this ship has the firepower of a ship almost five times the size?!" Corinthus asked.

"Pretty much," the Analyst replied. "And that's with its original technology, and being a century and a half old." The image changed to a ship very similar to the _Constitution_-Class Defiant, only with a different name: USS _Enterprise_ NCC-1701-A. "This is the refit _Constitution_-Class, configuration one, circa 2273. The ship's phasers have been uprated, giving them twice the firepower of their predecessors. The aft torpedo launcher has been removed and the forward one has been placed in the 'neck' section with a two-tube system. Starfleet classifies this ship as a medium-to-heavy cruiser, and the ship has three subtypes that recently came into service."

The two generals winced. TWICE the firepower in a 3-year refit operation?

"The Constitution-Class has a light cruiser subtype, and it's rather infamous due to one of the ships' histories." The image changed to that of a Constitution-Class saucer attached to two undermounted nacelles with a 'rollbar' on top. The name: USS _Reliant_ NCC-1864. "_Miranda_-Class," the Analyst informed. "This particular ship was hijacked by a man named Khan Noonien Singh, who used it to fight the _Enterprise_ in 2286."

"If this thing is a light cruiser-" Corinthus didn't want to THINK of the Miranda-Class as such if it outgunned their dreadnoughts. "The battle must have ended poorly for this… Khan."

"Not exactly," the Analyst replied. "Khan used the ship as what the humans call a Trojan Horse, using the Federation markings to lull Kirk into a false sense of security. As soon as they closed in, the _Reliant_ fired on the _Enterprise_, causing heavy damage to the _Constitution_-Class ship."

Victus saluted the man's cunning. "What of the _Enterprise_?" he asked. "From what little we know, Kirk and his crew retired years after this."

"The _Enterprise_ managed to force the _Reliant_ away, causing heavy damage to its' weapons," the Analyst informed. "This would lead to a battle that is well-documented: the Battle of the Mutara Nebula." A nearby monitor pulled up historical files on the battle in question, showing the _Enterprise_ NCC-1701 (the displayed _Constitution_ Refit's predecessor) entering a massive cloud of dust. Following it was the _Reliant_, which fired a red torpedo at the Enterprise, narrowly missing.

The generals were excited to watch this as only military officers were: it was a chance to learn from a potential enemy.

"The nebula made their sensor readings useless and their shields inoperable, so it was reduced to a short-range battle with blind firing and lucky hits," the Analyst continued. "The _Reliant_ caused heavy damage to the _Enterprise_'s portside torpedo launcher, but the _Reliant_ took more internal damage before being forced to retreat." The analyst pulled up a map of the nebula. "Khan had no experience in starship command. Kirk finally took advantage of this be having the _Enterprise_ descend 10000 meters and allow the Reliant to fly over it."

"He surfaced and shot Khan's ass out from under him!" Victus remarked.

"Not entirely," the Analyst informed. "According to the database, Khan had stolen something extremely dangerous, and Kirk wanted to reclaim it. Khan used the device, but the _Enterprise_ escaped."

"Starfleet must've needed to repair the _Enterprise_." Corinthus guessed.

"No," the Analyst replied. "They were going to scrap it, but Kirk stole the ship back for a rescue mission of some kind. It was destroyed at a planet called 'Genesis', Kirk was demoted and he was given command of the _Enterprise_-A."

"If the _Miranda_ is a variant of the _Constitution_, then they must have done the same with some of their other vessels," Victus mused.

"They have," the Analyst replied. The next image to appear looked like the saucer of a _Galaxy_-Class, only with the lower hull bolted right to the underside of the saucer, and the two nacelles flanking it. A triangular pod rested atop the saucer. "This is the _Nebula_-Class - it carries a crew of 750, again including civilians. It is listed in their databanks as a Science Vessel, with more powerful sensors, but it is still armed in order to defend itself… and the increased scientific capability means that it can use that capability… inventively… in combat."

"How?" Victus asked.

"The ship can somehow create gravity distortions, tears in the fabric of space/time, drain power from a ship in conjunction with the engineering crews: things like that," the Analyst replied. "And that's just… I believe the human term is 'the tip of the iceberg'."

Victus was suddenly happy that both of the ships that came through were not Nebula-Class.

"The _Nebula_-class isn't the only science vessel," the Analyst continued. The _Intrepid_-Class is more advanced, and the _Olympic_-Class is a multi mission science ship, filling in the roles of hospital ship and mobile research center. The smallest science ship type is the _Nova_-Class scout, but it's just as dangerous as the _Constitution_."

"A brief summary, please, of the Starfleet's military capabilities against the Hierarchy," Victus asked. He already had an idea. He just needed to hear it from someone else.

"Even their Light Cruisers would easily be a match for our heavy battleships," the Analyst replied. "If we got into a war with them for any reason, the question isn't '_Would_ we lose', it's '_When_ would we lose.'"

'When'. Not 'if'. They had encountered their Kobayashi Maru: the ultimate no-win scenario. "What about their ground forces?" Corinthus asked.

"They have more advanced weapons that punch through our barriers and armor," the Analyst replied. "According to reports, a Krogan wearing full body armor and full shields was vaporized on the Citadel by a phaser rifle. The only thing that could save our ground forces from utter defeat is our military training, but as we all know by now, humans are very unpredictable, and we have no idea how well-trained Starfleet security teams are."

Victus did not like this. "I am going to be briefing the Primarch in three hours," he informed. "I need every detail we've got on them."

The Analyst nodded. "You'll have it, General," he said.

The generals turned to leave the building, cold fear in their guts.

"This isn't good," Corinthus remarked. "Hard to believe that it's a government from another dimension that would prove to be one we can't defeat… and that's not counting the other powers from where they come from."

"We don't even know much about those other powers," Victus replied. "The Klingons, the Romulans… the only ones we know anything about are these… Borg."

"Speaking of which, the Batarians are on a losing front," Corinthus informed. "The Borg have taken three systems and are beginning to choke the Hegemony to death."

"The Batarians might not be as powerful militarily, but I expected them to hold the line better than that!" Victus remarked

Corinthus shook his head. "Did you read the priority file on this 'Battle of Wolf 359'?" he asked.

"No, I haven't," Victus replied. "Why?"

"That was Starfleet's first major conflict with the Borg," Corinthus explained. "It was a single cube against 40 Starfleet Vessels. The Cube decimated them, destroying all but ONE ship."

Victus stopped walking at that point. "If Starfleet was decimated… we're doomed."

"Not entirely," Corinthus replied. "The Borg used Starfleet's own knowledge against them by assimilating one of their captains. 6 years later, the Borg tried again. The Starfleet armada killed the cube at Earth's doorstep."

Victus shuddered. "We need more information," he said. "If we're going to have more dealings with the Federation, we're going to need to know what the hell is going on in that universe."

"We'll need to get in touch with the two ships that came to us, then," Corinthus replied. "If anyone can tell us more about what's happening over there, it would be them."

Victus had to agree. "Then we need to know one thing: where are the _Raging Tempest_ and the _Ra-Cailum?_"

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy** _**- Kepler Verge**_

* * *

The _Normandy_ flashed into normal space next to the Kepler Verge Mass Relay, soon followed by the _Raging Tempest_ and _Ra-Cailum_.

They'd decided to come here after Shepard had talked to Garrus about the one case he'd taken in C-Sec where the criminal got away. After hearing his story, she'd agreed to track the guy down and finally either bring him in or kill him.

The MSV Fedele spotted the two Starfleet ships and attempted to run, but the _Raging Tempest_ was much faster, catching the ship in a tractor beam before using the ventral phaser array to knock out the engines. It wasn't going anywhere now.

"Good work, Captain Yamato," Shepard said after that was done. "We'll handle the boarding action."

"Ra-Cailum _to _Normandy," Ron informed over the comms. "_We're picking up odd lifesigns on the transport. Recommend full EV gear: this shit looks like the Thorian back on Feros. As soon as you're done, we're destroying that ship._"

"Understood," Shepard replied with a nod. "Hitomi, Garrus, Wrex, suit up and meet me at the airlock."

Wrex, now carrying the phaser rifle from the Ra-Cailum and modified so that he was the only one that could use it without getting killed, chuckled. He was pissed off at the Salarians' modifications to the genophage, and since they were going after one, well, he wanted to test the 'heat disruption' feature on the bastard. "So, will Ron be joining us this time?" he asked.

Shepard glanced back at Wrex, who had started referring to the Ra-Cailum's captain by name rather than title or surname. '_Then again, the bastard is basically a Krogan in human skin._' "Not this time," she said. "Guess he just wants to blow up the ship this time."

"Damn," Wrex replied. "I was looking forward to him being here."

"Just glad I can finally finish Dr. Saleon," Garrus said as he walked up. "I'll finally be able to put this case to rest."

The _Normandy_ docked with the transport, and the team quickly made their way on board.

"Nothing here," Wrex said. "Hope this isn't a waste of my-" the door opened before the Krogan could finish, revealing a large number of deformed human bodies.

"More of those Thorian things?!" Hitomi asked incredulously.

The apparent creepers began to march toward the team, who quickly opened fire on the Thorian creepers, Wrex's phaser rifle doing the most damage in the assault shotgun mode. "Fucking LOVE this thing!" he cheered.

They continued mowing down the apparent creepers, slowly making their way through the ship. Eventually, they found a lone Salarian after they left the cargo bay.

"Thank you," the Salarian said. "Thank you for saving me from those things."

"Commander," Garrus said. "That's him. That's Dr. Saleon."

"What?" the Salarian asked. "My name is Heart. Dr. Heart. Please, get me out of here!"

"You sure, Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"Positive," Garrus replied. "It's him. I'd harvest your organs first, Saleon, but we don't have the time."

Wrex pointed the phaser rifle at the Salarian. "For once, Turian, we actually agree on something," he said.

"Hold your fire, both of you. We're taking him in. We'll have the son of a bitch put in the _Ra-Cailum_'s brig before we have him put on trial from crimes against sentient life. The bastard's going to pay his time."

"Commander, we can't just let him go!" Garrus complained.

"We're not," Shepard replied. "We're just making sure this is justice, not vengeance."

"Hate to say it, Turian, but Shepard's right," Wrex said, even as he made a minor adjustment to his Phaser Rifle. He was pissed at the Salarians, but the doc had a point: the bastards who did the job were probably dead, and he wasn't wasting his time hunting down ghosts.

Garrus sighed. "Alright," he said, before turning back to Doctor Saleon. "You're coming with us."

"I don't think so!" Saleon replied, bringing up a gun…

…Before Wrex fired a beam from his Phaser, dropping the Salarian to the deck.

"Whoops," Wrex said, faux-sheepishly. "My finger slipped."

Shepard chuckled. '_I love this team,_' she thought, "_Ra-Cailum_, this is Shepard," she said over the comm. "We've got our target. Request that you beam him to sick bay before throwing him in the brig."

"_Copy that,_" Ron replied. "_Locking on. Should we beam you back to your ship, Commander?_"

"Not yet," Shepard said. "We'll download whatever data the son of a bitch collected before getting the hell out of here."

"_Understood,_" Ron informed. "_See you soon._"

The group then proceeded to access the computers, Garrus and Shepard both hacking through the datafiles to get whatever information Saleon might have acquired.

"Let's get the hell out of here. This place makes me sick."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

The _Sovereign_-Class starship fired a single photon torpedo at the transport as soon as the Normandy was clear, turning it into a fireball. "Sick bastard's going to get nailed," Ron remarked. "Tell Commander Shepard that I want her and Mr. Vakarian on board within the hour. I'm going to contact the Council and see if I can wrangle myself the authority to try this fucker: we're not letting him get away."

"Sure you can remain objective?" Sonja asked.

"I might want to see him nailed to the wall, but I'm doing this properly," Ron replied. "Contact Takeshi: I think he might want to join me on this one."

* * *

_**Planet Sur'Kesh, Annos Basin, Pranas System - Salarian Homeworld**_

* * *

Mordin Solus had retired from STG a year ago, and was looking to find a place to settle down, maybe establish some kind of medical clinic.

However, he still had his contacts, and when they'd told him about a project for developing a new form of FTL that didn't rely on eezo and was more flexible than the Relays, he realized his skill would be needed.

From the blueprints supplied by this 'Section 31' operative, the technology used a subspace bubble to circumvent the laws of physics, allowing them to travel much faster than light, perhaps faster than eezo-based FTL. The massive size of the ship would still slow the ship down slightly, but not as much as one would think.

Studies into subspace were practically non-existent to Salarians: the only ones who had tried were, ironically, humans, who had a great deal of subspace theories to work with, but were never expanded on due to the discovery of the Prothean archive on Mars. "Utterly wasteful," he muttered. "Should've continued despite easy access to FTL technology. Still, field is being expanded thanks to Federation."

Several STG operatives entered the lab that had been turned into the Salarin Warp Program's main headquarters, using attempts to generate a subspace bubble using eezo. It wasn't going very well. "Dr. Solus! It's been a long time!"

Mordin spun around to face Captain Kirrahe of the 3rd Infiltration Regiment, an old colleague. "Captain Kirrahe," he said, with a minor smile. "Good to see you. You involved in this project, too?"

"To a point," Kirrahe replied. "We're going to be going behind Batarian lines in an attempt to get our hands on Borg technology. If we can do that successfully, we'll have a much easier time with this. Personally, though… I think that that part is a bad idea. I've seen the reports from the Federation ships: I don't want us to have anything to do with the Borg."

"Agreed," Mordin replied. "Borg Technology incredibly dangerous. Collective runs on hive-mind: Danger of being controlled by hive mind when using Borg Technology undefined, but risk too great for experimentation."

Kirrahe nodded in agreement. "I personally hope we fail," he said, "but I'm not going to botch the mission on purpose. Here's hoping you don't need whatever we find."

"Agreed," Mordin remarked. "Perhaps find the answer while you are out on mission. Good luck."

"Thanks, Mordin," Kirrahe replied.

* * *

_**Nahuala System, near Agessia**_

* * *

Two fighters, one heavily modified with a matter/antimatter reactor and two warp nacelles, stood by for the first warp test. Of course, this would be a failure that would be 'refined' out of the design after a few tests. nearby was a Class-2 shuttle, bearing the marks of the UFP and a black version of the delta arrow that used to be the emblem for the _Enterprise _NCC-1701: the universally accepted mark of Section 31.

Onboard the shuttle, Flay Allster watched. She'd been informed the test would be happening now, and was on hand to see how well they did, as well as having control over a few remote failsafe measures in case it was a fluke and worked on the first try.

"_Thessaly 1 to shuttlecraft _Markus Wolf_,_" came the voice of the lead pilot. "_We're ready for the warp test._"

"_Markus Wolf_ acknowledges," Flay replied. "Good luck." She honestly meant that: people died in warp drive tests.

The fighter activated the reactor, which only had enough power for fifteen minutes of operation. "_Nacelles are charged and ready!_" the pilot reported. "_Plasma cooling system is operational! Activating sublight engines!_"

The fighter sped forward, chased by the escort fighter and the _Markus Wolfe_. The other Asari craft had a hard time keeping up, as the warp bubble was actually stable and pushing the ship forward. The Starfleet-built shuttle had no such issues.

'_This is worrying,_' Flay thought. '_I wasn't expecting it to work._'

"_We're approaching light speed!_" the pilot of the test ship replied, but before the fighter could jump to warp, the nacelles flashed and overloaded before exploding, destroying the wings and the nacelles themselves.

Flay sighed. '_That was a bit too close to a successful test for my tastes,_' she thought, '_but oh well._' "_Markus Wolf_ to Thessaly 1, are you alright?"

"_We're fine! Damn it, we were SO close!_"

'_Too close,_' Flay thought. The pilots knew nothing about their craft besides being modified for warp testing. They had signed papers saying they would never reveal Section 31's involvement, but they didn't know about the failsafe limitations. "Recovery craft, this is _Markus Wolf_: get those people out of there. Second try is in two weeks."

"_Damn it!_"

And all they had to do was edit out the _Wolf_ from the chase plane's gun camera, and she was as good as hidden. '_I'll need to make a few simulations to make sure try number two is less successful then try number one,_' she thought

* * *

_**Palaven - Office of the Primarch of the Turian Hierarchy**_

* * *

Victus stood at attention before the Turian Primarch, having just delivered his report on the Federation's tactical abilities from studying the records they'd been given.

"General, before two weeks ago, I would have said that our intelligence services, as well as those of the Salarians and the Asari, needed to have their heads checked," Primarch Fedorian said.

"I believe most of us would agree, Primarch," Victus replied. The known footage of the _Raging Tempest_ and _Ra-Cailum_ in combat played on a nearby screen, including the infamous Warning Shot. The latter was the phaser beam that downed the Destiny Ascension's shields without damaging the ship itself, or even damaging the paint job. "Now I think we have someone that makes me want to get on my knees and beg for mercy."

"Agreed," Fedorian said. "I mean, with what you've figured out and what they've shown… the Federation could crush any offensive we tried before we could blink."

Victus pulled out another datapad, this one having been supplied to him by Corinthus. "There's more, Primarch. According to the data the _Ra-Cailum_ gave us, the Federation was involved in a massive war 40 years ago. The information is highly limited, but we do have a name for it." He took in a breath before saying the name. "The Dominion War. According to it, thousands of starships on both sides were lost and billions of people lost their lives. I think we just found their version of the Krogan Rebellion."

Fedorian blinked, then whistled. "That's… very high casualties…" he said. "They've likely rebuilt from that, but still…"

Victus sighed as he considered their options. "The Federation is highly accepting of its' neighbors, but if those neighbors try anything to attack, the Federation will pour everything into taking it out as quickly and painlessly as possible," he said. "Any action we take, sir, could be considered hostile if we aren't open about it."

"I'll be sure to note that for later," Fedorian replied. "Any other options?"

Victus nodded. "Weapons technology," he said. "Our ships have the size, just not the power. One of their oldest ship classes, the _Constitution_, was equal to one of our dreadnoughts and that was almost two of their centuries ago!"

"I see…" Fedorian replied. "Well, hopefully we can develop our weapons technology to match the Federation's, though we'll need to be quick about it. Anything else?"

Victus was not liking option three. "The humans have a saying, Primarch," he said. "'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em'."

Fedorian was clearly taken aback by THAT one. "Join the Federation?" he asked.

"They have a policy to not interfere in the affairs of member worlds, according to the Federation Constitution. I would say that preserves the Hierarchy while entitling us to all of the benefits. There is a problem, however: we need warp drive, their version of FTL. I'm not sure about their stance on how they would take the Volus' situation, though."

"Something we'll have to find out when it happens," Fedorian replied. "I think we'll have to go option three if we want to fully survive, and even thrive, in our relations with the Federation. We'll just need to figure out how this 'Warp Drive' works, and how to make it."

Victus nodded. "We'll see if our scientists can figure it out. I hope we can do it, otherwise we might not survive the coming storm." The images on the monitor showed the Borg advance in Batarian space now, including the red 'hand' that was the emblem of the Collective.

* * *

USS Ra-Cailum - brig

* * *

Saleon watched the security officer as she did her job. Looked at a PADD, drank something called Vulcan spice tea, checked the power levels of the force field, then went back to the PADD, ignoring the Salarian's demands to be let out. "Lucky you, doc," she said after a moment. "You got a visitor."

"Thank heavens!" Saleon said. "It's about-" he stopped short as the Turian from the ship entered view.

"Hello, Doctor," he said. "I've got news. The good news is, you're going to live. The bad news is you're not going to be leaving this cell anytime soon."

"Wh-what?" Saleon asked, shocked.

"The Captains of the two ships got the authority to try you for your crimes. Seems those experiments of yours were illegal in the Federation, too. They've gone over your case. You've been found guilty. Personally, I'd like nothing more than to put a bullet in your head, but their laws keep me from doing just that. So you're going to spend the rest of your life in a prison cell: we're going to Sur'Kesh to deliver you there."

"No!" Saleon screamed.

Garrus leaned closer to the force field. "Shepard had a point," he said. "Seeing you dead won't bring back your victims, but seeing you suffer in prison? That might bring them some comfo-" His head touched the force field, causing him to recoil in discomfort. "Damn, that stung!"

"You're telling me," Saleon replied. "I hate you, Turian."

"Go right ahead," Garrus remarked. "Hearing you say that is going to put me right to sleep at night." He rubbed his head before leaving the brig, leaving Saleon to his own devices.

* * *

**Ron the True Fan: Whoops. Forgot to tell Garrus about the force fields.**

**Takeshi Yamato: Well, no biggie - at least they're not like Cardassian Force Fields - those things are designed to be **_**lethal**_**.**

**Ron the True Fan: So to sum up the situation: the Batarians are screwed, the hunt for Saren is getting closer, the Thorian is volcanic ash, and two of the citadel races are developing warp drive with a little help from Section 31. Did I miss anything, Take?**

**Takeshi Yamato: Well, it's a bit more minor, compared to the rest, but we have established our prime ME-Verse Pairing for this fic - Fem!Shep/OC. For those of you wondering about Shepard's other potential Love Interests, don't worry - if we don't have pairings in mind for them yet, we will soon enough.**

**Ron the True Fan: Don't worry about the borg, though: they're too busy. Until next time...**

**Both: Ja Ne!**


	4. Chapter 3: Secrets and Threats

Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!

Takeshi Yamato: We also don't own Mass Effect, or anything else that might make a cameo in this story… what can I say, I love importing things from other franchises and tweaking them to fit the destination! It still belongs to whomever created it, though.

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy** _**- near Novaria**_

* * *

It had been a busy two weeks for the Normandy Task force, as the galaxy had begun coining the three ship formation that had been touring the galaxy, hunting down Saren.

They had put down a rogue VI on earth's moon, an AI on the Citadel, recovered data that Tali might find useful for her pilgrimage, destroyed several Geth patrols, and recovered a large number of artifacts from worlds they had been searching for Saren, including a set of armor that belonged to Wrex's father.

Now, however, they were orbiting Novaria, a private research world. They had tracked a lead that may have put them within arms reach of Matriarch Benezia, Saren's right hand woman. As such, the _Normandy_ and two shuttles from the _Ra-Cailum_ and _Raging Tempest_ were on their way down to the planet.

"Approach Control, this is the SSV _Normandy_," Joker said over the comms to the local ExoGeni facility. "Requesting a vector and a berth."

"Normandy_, your arrival was not scheduled,_" came the reply. "_Our defense grid is armed and tracking you. State your business._"

"Citadel business," Joker replied. "We have Council Spectres aboard."

"_You have two craft escorting you,_" the controller declared. "_State their identity-_"

"_This is Captain Pinkerton of the USS _Ra-Cailum." Ron's voice informed. "_Shut the hell up and let us land, or I'll be forced to take hostile action._"

Shepard shook her head. The two Federation starships had a powerful reputation, especially after the Feros mission briefing was somehow leaked.

"_U-Understood,_" the controller replied, now terrified. "_Docking clearance granted!_"

"Thanks for that, Ron," Shepard remarked as they began settling into the berth. "Hitomi, Nihlus, Liara, Ashley, Wrex, Tali, gear up and meet me at the airlock."

The _Normandy_ landed in the docking port, followed by the _Cyclone_ and one of the more unique shuttles on the _Ra-Cailum_: a Class-1 shuttlecraft, also known as the Class-F refit. Both shuttles landed alongside the Normandy, and as soon as they left the ship, Tali began geeking out over the two shuttles, mostly the Class-1 Cheron, which was even painted like the shuttles used on the Enterprise-A. '_Someone likes history,_' Shepard thought.

Ron and Sonja, along with two of his security personnel, left the shuttle fully armed with phaser rifles and sidearms. "IS COLD!" Ron yelled out.

"Don't pull the Russian thing, boss," Sonja replied.

Takeshi and Linda stepped out of the _Cyclone_, along with Mogire Kostran, the _Raging Tempest_'s dark-blue haired Betazoid Chief Medical Officer, along with Serin ch'Tholis, an Andorian, and one of the more skilled Assault Personnel on the _Raging Tempest_.

"Jeez, this place is cold," Takeshi remarked.

"Agreed," Serin replied. "Andoria is an ice planet like this place, but this place seems even colder than that, if that's possible."

Several security personnel walked toward the group, but they seemed… fearful. Then again, the Federation ships and what they could do were a widely known fact now. "Commander Shepard, Captain Pinkerton, Captain Yamato. Welcome to Novaria. I'm going to have to ask you for your weapons."

"Not happening: General Order 15 is very clear on that, and I'm technically a flag officer."

Shepard wracked her brain for the order in question. '_Oh, general order 15,_' she thought. '_No flag officer shall enter a hazardous area without armed escort._'

"Not to mention this blade of mine has been in my family for centuries," Takeshi said, a hand drifting to the hilt of his Katana. "It's still battle-worthy, though - and if you try to take it from me, you'll get first-hand experience on its capabilities."

The security personnel raised their weapons, afraid for their lives, but luckily, they didn't need to do anything. "_Stand down, all of you! Commander Shepard, please come to the security office._"

The human spectre shrugged before heading to the office in question. Everyone else, including an extremely amused Ron, stayed with the security team.

"So, ever heard of the one where a Klingon and Krogan walk into a bar?" he asked.

"What?" the Security Team asked.

Meanwhile, Shepard headed up the stairs, heading up to the security office.

"Commander Shepard, welcome to Noveria. I am Gianna Parasini, the assistant director. I have to say, I wasn't expecting you, or the famous Federation ships to show up."

"Well, we have something we need to take care of," Shepard replied. "Has anyone unusual come through recently?"

"Unusual? No. An Asari Matriarch passed through here only a few days ago: Lady Benezia. According to the logs, she left for the Peak 15 research post an hour after she arrived. She's still there, to the best of my knowledge."

Shepard looked at Ron. "I know what you're about to ask," Ron said. "Miss Parasini, we're going to need the location of Peak 15."

"You'll need to ask Administrator Anoleis for clearance to leave this port," Parasini replied.

"And you entirely missed what I meant," Ron replied. "I just need its' location."

"Captain, we know about what happened to Feros," Parasini replied. "I don't want that to happen here."

Ron pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine." He tapped his combadge. "Pinkerton to _Ra-Cailum_: scan for any lifesigns currently in our database, including artificial ones."

"_Aye, sir,_" Corpsa replied. "_Scanning now._"

Ron smirked. "If there are any Geth down here, your little privacy clause ain't going to do you much good."

"Geth?" Parasini asked. "How can there be Geth-"

"_Ra-Cailum to Captain,_" Corpsa said over the comms. "_We're picking up odd readings from one of the mountain bases, including what look to be insectoid lifesigns. We aren't detecting any active Geth, though. Sorry, sir._"

"That's fine," Ron replied. "Pinkerton out."

Shepard looked at Parasini. "I assume that 'Peak 15' is the place where those odd readings were coming from?"

Parasini sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Most likely. I will take you to Administrator Anoleis. Please follow me." She led the party to a lift, which would take them to the office. "Noveria is used by multiple corporations for scientific research of all kinds, so I still have to get you all clearance to go to Peak 15."

"There's a good reason the Federation doesn't HAVE corporations," Ron said. "I thank whoever created the moneyless economy for reducing my headache number."

"Yeah, but we still do have to deal with corporations every so often…" Takeshi reminded. "Mainly run by Ferengi."

"Money obsessed idiots," Ron remarked.

The lift came to a halt, and the team left the lift, following Parasini to the administrator's office before she pressed the call button. "Administrator-"

"_I know,_" came the reply. "_The Spectres and those Federation people are here. Send them in._"

The party stepped into the office, revealing Administrator Anoleis, a Salarian.

"Forgive me if I don't stand up," Anoleis said. "I have no time to entertain refugees from that urban blight called Earth."

"Insulting our homeworld is a VERY bad idea, Salarian. It's even worse when you have someone who is rapidly losing his patience dealing with a galaxy that wants our technology, can't have it but keeping demanding it."

Anoleis looked at Ron, then remembered who he was insulting, unintentionally or not. "This is a formality, Captain: I will cooperate only as requested by the board. Now, you want access to one of our research facilities. You're going to have to wait: there's a due process that needs to be done."

"What kind of 'due process'?" Takeshi asked.

"Paperwork of all kinds," Anoleis informed. "Non-disclosure agreements, weapons passes. It will take time."

"Time we do not have, Administrator," Ron informed. "Unless you've checked the news lately-"

"I haven't-" Anoleis began

"Saren is a wanted criminal," Ron said. "That makes anything he's connected to subject to investigation, and if you are attempting to stall it in any way, there's going to be hell to pay."

"So, if you could get us access to this 'Peak 15' Matriarch Benezia went to, and with all due haste, it would be much appreciated," Hitomi replied, the sweet smile she was making contrasting with her hardened eyes.

"Well… I am not attempting to stall you, Captains, Commander," Anoleis said. "I am trying to preserve my career. That being said, I will… inform the board of your needs. Please tour the facility in the meantime."

Ron nodded respectfully, saying something in a language that they failed to understand.

Anoleis didn't. "Wait, how can you speak Salarian?" he asked.

"I study." Ron replied.

The team left the room, and as soon as the door was shut and they were out of earshot, Nihlus summed up what he was doing. "He's stalling us and trying to cover his ass."

"Agreed," Takeshi replied. "We need to get to Peak 15 now. If we had the coordinates of the place, could we beam over there?"

"We're about to get the answer," Ron said, before tapping his combadge. "Pinkerton to _Ra-Cailum_: where are those readings coming from and what are the rock compositions?"

"_Location has standard rock composition for a Class-M-3 planet, sir,_" came the reply. "_Iron, silver, gold, copper, etc. Nothing blocking us from scanning it._"

"Then how come you can't detect anything?" Shepard asked.

"_Bioelectric interference on a massive scale is blocking us from getting clear readings, but we do have a partial map._"

Ron sighed before handing over several combadges to the Normandy team.

"What are these for?" Hitomi asked.

"Just put them onto your armor," Ron said.

Takeshi understood what he was doing. "Do it," he said.

The Normandy party placed the combadges on their armor, the magnetizing agent attaching them to the armor.

Ron pulled out his tricorder and pressed several buttons before speaking. "Can you understand me?" he asked.

"Yeah, we can," Hitomi replied. "Why do you ask?"

Ron smirked. "Because I'm not speaking English."

"What?" Shepard asked. "That's impossible! We can understand you perfectly!"

Ron pressed a button on the tricorder before speaking again, only this time the words were rough, guttural and almost savage.

"I don't know what that is, Ron, but I LIKE it!" Wrex said.

Ron pressed the button again. "Like I said, not English. That was Klingon. Or should I say is Klingon?"

Tali was the one who realized it. "These badges are fitted with translators, aren't they?" she asked.

"Universal translators, actually. They can translate almost any language, providing the language is in the database and isn't so overly complex that the microcomputer can't handle it if it's being translated for the first time." Most of the team were surprised about that revelation. Tali was not.

"Oh, wow, this is incredible!" she said. "How does it work? Does it intercept signals heading to the ear and translate them into the requisite language, or does it directly affect a person's brain, allowing them to understand one language as if it was another, or-"

"Tali, you can dismantle the damn thing to figure out how it works later," Shepard informed her. "Nice idea, Captain."

"I'm the only one not using the translator," Ron said. "Helps having some of the collective knowledge of thousands of races inside my head."

"What's the plan? I want to blow shit up, Ron," Wrex said.

"The plan is simple," Ron informed. Wrex and the Starfleet personnel will go back to the shuttles, claiming that we're not actually needed down here while you get official clearance to get into the lab."

"And what about you?" Shepard asked.

"We'll beam into the facility and perform force recon," Ron replied. "We'll inform you of anything we run into and secure the place if need be."

"Sounds good to me," Takeshi replied. "This'll be fun."

* * *

_**Agressia orbit - same time**_

* * *

Flay waited in the Markus Wolf for the second Asari warp fighter to enter position. She hoped round two would end up pretty much the same as round one, but her finger was on the abort button if need be.

"Thessaly 2, _Markus Wolf_," she said. "Waiting on you."

"Markus Wolf_, Thessaly 2,_" the test pilot replied. "We're beginning start-up procedures. Standby." The warp fighter fired its' sublights, moving to the warp point. "_Warp field is forming. It's stable! speed increasing to warp .6! .7!_"

'_This is going smoother than intended,_' she thought. '_I underestimated the Asari's technical skill._' The fighter nearly actively entered warp speed before Flay pressed the abort button, causing a cascade reaction that caused the port nacelle to explode and tear the fighter apart due to subspace torque. 'THAT'S _a new one._' The cockpit survived, however, preserving the valuable pilots.

"DAMMIT!" the pilots yelled over the comm. "_We almost _HAD _it that time!_"

"Recovery ship, do your thing. The ladies at the yard will have the next prototype ready in a few hours, but I want you two rested and ready for the next test flight. Three days and we'll try this AGAIN." Flay had to sound annoyed that it didn't work, which was easy because she WAS annoyed that it WAS working. '_They're getting closer to breaking the warp barrier. I'm going to need to actively sabotage the fighter this time._' She guided the _Wolf_ to the shipyard, ready to do her 'dirty business'.

* * *

_**Noveria - Peak 15 labs**_

* * *

In swirling columns of light, Takeshi, Linda, Mogire, Ron, Sonja, and Wrex materialized in the lab facilities on Peak 15.

"OK, where do we start?" Takeshi asked as they looked around.

"Split up, teams of two," Ron replied. "Wrex, with me; married couple, you go that way; Sonja, you're with Mogire. You see anything, shoot first and piss on the smoldering ashes later."

"HA!" Wrex cheered as he and Ron went down one of the corridors, keeping an eye out for anything abnormal.

Takeshi and Linda advanced down another corridor, Takeshi with his sword drawn, and Linda holding her TR-116 at the ready.

"It's quiet around here," Takeshi remarked. "_**Too**_ quiet."

"Agreed," Linda replied. "I'm not seeing any researchers around here."

A small creature entered view, having a hanging underbelly, a head on a thick neck and four legs. It rushed at the two Starfleet officers, forcing Linda to shoot the creature.

After Linda had shot it, more appeared in front of them, and charged. Linda was firing as fast as her TR-116 could reload, while Takeshi sliced into any that got close with his sword. In less than three minutes, the corridor was strewn with corpses.

"What the frak were those things?!" Takeshi asked.

"_Pinkerton to Yamato,_" Ron's voice said. "_Come in._"

Takeshi tapped his combadge. "Takeshi here," he replied. "Linda and I just ran into some unusual creatures."

"_Really? So did we!_" Ron replied.

"_Unusual my Quad!_" Wrex exclaimed. "_Those were Rachni! How the fuck did RACHNI end up here?! We killed them centuries ago!_"

"_Saren might be cloning them or these things were genetically engineered from basic DNA to BE Rachni,_" Ron surmised. "_Either way, we've found the source of the interference. Switch to ranged energy weapons: shoot them on sight! Pinkerton out._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied. He sheathed his sword and drew out his MACO Pulsewave, even as Linda drew a Phaser Sniper Rifle. They resumed advancing, though more cautiously as they kept an eye out for more Rachni.

That was when they heard mechanical trilling. Linda took cover before a burst of mass effect-using assault rifle rounds fired from a Geth pulse rifle shot past her husband, and forced them to take cover. "Wonderful," she said. "Geth. The bioelectric interference blocked the signals from their power units!"

"Yeah," Takeshi replied as he fired off a Photon Grenade. "Ron, this is Takeshi, we have found Geth in the labs - repeat, Geth are in the labs!"

"_Preaching to the fucking choir!_" Ron yelled back. "_Assholes are sending their heavy units after me and Wrex! Wait-_" Both were heard in stereo over the comm that time. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?! I DON'T KNOW! SHOOT IT!"

If they were in a less serious situation, Takeshi would have laughed at their antics. As it was, he was worried. "I'll contact Shepard!" he said, even as he let off another shot. "Let her know what's going on!"

Linda tapped her commbadge, but there was only a buzzing sound. Either the bioelectric field the Rachni were putting out were blocking the signal or the Geth were actively jamming them. "Damn it, the signal's blocked!" she called out.

"_Sonja to Captains,_" Sonja's voice said. "_I've found some kind of device over here. Looks PRETTY important. Might be blocking our long range comm signals._"

"_FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, BLOW IT UP!_" Ron yelled.

"_Got it, boss!_" Sonja replied. "Explosion in three! Two! One!"

There was a loud BOOM as the lab rocked from the shockwave.

"Takeshi to Shepard!" Takeshi called out.

* * *

_**The **_**Normandy** _**team**_

* * *

The _Normandy_ Team was busily working their way through some abandoned offices, taking out corrupt guards in order to get some information that they could trade for a pass to the garage, when the combadge Shepard had been given chirped. "_Takeshi to Shepard!_" Takeshi's voice called out.

Shepard pressed her hand to her ear piece before remembering the commbadge and tapping it. "Shepard here. Go ahead."

"_We've determined what's up here at Peak 15!_" Takeshi informed. "_We've run into things Wrex referred to as Rachni! We've also run into Geth! Their signals must have been jammed by the Bioelectric interference!_"

Shepard lowered the volume of her voice before replying. "Rachni?" she asked. "But that's impossible: the Krogan killed all the Rachni almost a thousand years ago!"

"_Regardless of how - BLOODY HELL!_" Takeshi yelled. "_The frakkers are alive NOW! Get your butts over here and HELP US, DAMN IT!_"

"Understood," Shepard replied. "Shepard out." She turned to the others. "We need to get to Peak 15 now - Hitomi, you and I will stay here and finish dealing with this. Nihlus, Liara, Ashley, Tali, beam over to Peak 15 and help them out - we'll get there ASAP."

Tali, who was enjoying her commbadge too much to be safe, tapped the device. "Tali to _Ra-Cailum_," she said. "Requesting beam over for 4 to the Peak 15 labs."

"_Copy that, ground team: standby._" The four man team disappeared in columns of light.

"Just you and me now, huh, Nicole?" Hitomi asked. "Almost reminds me of some of our exercises back during N7 Training."

"At least our N7 exercises didn't involve corrupt bureaucrats and idiots."

The pair left the offices, heading for location of the turian that would give them the garage pass, Lorik Qui'in. "Ah, Spectre," he said. "Always a pleasure. Might I inquire as to the affair I asked you to look into?"

"We have the data," Shepard informed, "but an Internal Affairs investigator contacted me. She wants you to testify against Anoleis."

Lorik wasn't pleased about that. "I see," he said. "You aren't telling me want to do with my own property, are you?"

"Not at all," Shepard replied. "I'm just saying that if you testify, you might be a hero. Public good and all that."

It was a low blow, and a VERY low one at that, but it was also true. Turians prided themselves as servants of the people, and anything they could do to improve they did. Lorik knew that and so did Shepard. "I see your point," he said. "Thank you, Commander. Tell your contact that I will testify on her behalf."

"Thank you," Shepard replied. "Good day, Mister Qui'in."

The pair quickly made their way to Parasini's desk, where the woman was currently working on a report as part of her cover. "Do you have the evidence?" she asked.

"We've got it," Shepard replied. "Now we need access to the garage and Peak 15."

"Alright," she said, handing them a garage pass. "Again, thank you for your help. I'll give you a map with directions to Peak 15, and if you need to get there quickly, we have a Mako in the Garage you can borrow."

"Thank you for your help, Miss Parasini," Shepard replied, before the pair left the office, heading for the garage.

"Should we just beam there, or actually borrow the Mako?" Hitomi asked. "We ARE on the clock."

"We'll beam there," Shepard replied, before tapping her combadge. "Shepard to _Ra-Cailum_ - two to beam to the Peak 15 Labs."

"_Copy that. Energizing._" The two disappeared in columns of light.

* * *

_**Peak 15 lab**_

* * *

"I don't know what the fuck this thing is, where it came from or who the hell made it," Ron remarked. "I only know two things: Saren's responsible for commissioning it and I'm glad it's dead."

It took 5 minutes of concentrated fire to kill the abomination that now laid in a smoking heap. The damn thing was a cybernetic hybrid of a Rachni and a Geth armature, making it a bitch to kill.

"Damn thing was almost weapons-proof," Wrex complained. "How the hell did it manage that?"

Ron checked the body, finding something he didn't like. A neuroprocessor. "Oh. FUCK. Pinkerton to Yamato."

"_Takeshi here,_" Takeshi replied. "_More bad news?_"

"I'll give you a hint," Ron replied. "Resistance is futile."

There was a moment of silence. "_Oh, bloody frakking hell!_" Takeshi swore. "_You mean to tell me Saren got his hands on Borg Tech?!_"

"I'm looking at a Borg neuroprocessor right now," Ron said. "It's inside some kind of fucked up Rachni/Geth… thing. with the Batarians getting their asses handed to them, it might've been easy to get their hands on a Borg drone and… well, pull a Tal Shiar out of their asses." He performed a scan of the creature. "I'm not detecting any element zero in the body. Looks like the borg can't adapt to it."

"Saren's gotta be trying to make up for that," Wrex remarked. "I mean, I've looked at those reports you keep collecting: the Borg use their ships."

Ron nodded in agreement. "They might be using a workaround since the two technologies don't exactly work well together," he said. "In any case, set your weapons to a fractal rotating modulation: the thing we ran into had a higher resistance to our weapons, so Saren might be coming close to making Borg adaptive EM shielding."

"_Roger,_" Takeshi replied. "_And we might start mixing in Projectile Weapons - Borg can't adapt to those._"

"Not if these assholes are using kinetic barriers," Ron reminded. "Use your instincts and take the assholes out. Pinkerton out."

"So, Borgified Geth now?" Wrex asked. "Is there any way this could get more fun?"

"We're about to find out."

* * *

_**With Takeshi**_

* * *

Takeshi and Linda continued their trek through the corridors, blasting any Rachni or Geth they saw.

"Jeez, things are really not going well," Takeshi remarked. "First Rachni, then Geth, now Borg Tech? Things are going to hell in a handbasket!"

"We'll need to find a way to contact Starfleet," Linda replied, as she blasted a Geth Juggernaut with her Phaser Sniper Rifle, vaporizing it. "We need more help to deal with the situation now that the Borg are making inroads."

"Yeah," Takeshi agreed. "But figuring out how to duplicate what got us here in the first place, and control it so we can get back, is the tricky part."

"FUUUUCCCCKKKK!" Shepard and Hitomi yelled as they ran down an adjacent corridor, firing their weapons blindly at whatever was chasing them.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!" Hitomi asked.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Shepard replied. "IT'S BIG!"

The target entered their sight, revealing itself to be a Borg-Geth/Rachni construct like the one Ron and Wrex ran into.

"Oh, bloody frakking hell," Takeshi remarked, priming his MACO Pulsewave weapon.

"Agreed," Linda replied, grabbing her TR-116. "This is going to be tough…"

Shepard threw a grenade at the creature, causing it to flinch in pain before the two N7s opened fire on it with everything they had, with Takeshi and Linda pouring Starfleet-issue fire into the monster. "I think we might need to blow this place to hell, Takeshi!" Shepard yelled. "What's the General Order for blowing up something like a lab without killing everything on the planet?!"

"Don't think there is one, but I agree with you!" Takeshi replied, as he fired off a Photon grenade into the thing. "Once we find Benezia, we apprehend her, beam out, and blow this facility off the map!"

The grenade blew open the freak of nature's belly before the forward legs collapsed, allowing them to blow the thing's brains out. "I think you have the right idea," Shepard remarked. "Shepard to Pinkerton: where are you?"

"_Dealing with a crazy bitch and her psionic commandos!_" Ron replied. "Benezia's here and she's NOT happy!"

"Guess that answers that," Hitomi remarked. "Come on: we've got a Matriarch to capture."

"Agreed," Takeshi said. "Everyone link up at Ron's location, and hurry!"

"_We're en route, Captain!_" came a chorus of replies.

The _Normandy_ team, plus the _Raging Tempest_'s command staff, made their way through the labyrinthine lab complex, making their way to a central hub where Ron and Wrex were fighting off a squad of Asari commandos and a LOT of Geth.

"Could someone kill that bitch please?!" Ron called out. "Her psionic powers are making me mad and the horde of assholes ISN'T HELPING!"

"Liara, help Ron and Wrex with Benezia," Shepard ordered. "See if you can talk her down, otherwise counter her Biotics! Everyone else, deal with the Geth first!"

Liara jumped over a railing in order to get closer to her mother. "Mother!" she yelled. "Please, stop this!"

The Matriarch looked at Liara, her eyes almost glazed over for some reason.

"Goddess," Liara whispered. "What did he do to you?"

Benezia launched a wave of biotic energy at Liara, forcing the younger Asari to return the favor just to survive. "I! HATE! THIS! PLANET!" Ron yelled.

Wrex downed two more Geth before leaving cover and charging at the synthetics, covered by Ron, who shot at the Asari Commandos, although he was forced to take more cover than anything else.

Shepard took cover, herself, before beginning to open fire with her Mantis, precision fire nailing Geth and Asari Commandos alike in the heads, even as Linda and Nihlus added to the sniper fire. Everyone else closed in and started firing whatever weapon they were most proficient with, though Takeshi and Hitomi drew out their swords and charged forward.

At this point, the battle was nearly over, as most of the Geth were dead and the commandos on the floor drooling from the phasers set to heavy stun. Linda took aim at Benezia's leg, intending to disable the Matriarch so they could interrogate her before firing. The shot tore into her knee, knocking her to the deck.

"Ok, that was annoying," Ron remarked.

Wrex looked at the glass enclosure, spotting the source of their Rachni problem: a queen. "They weren't cloning them: they found one and bred the damn thing!" Wrex took aim at the glass, but Ron lowered the Krogan's rifle with his hand. "We can't kill it. Do that, you're no better than the assholes who used the genophage on the Krogan."

Wrex looked thoughtful for a moment, before he nodded, lowering his weapon.

"Still, what _do_ we do with it?" Hitomi asked.

"We transplant this thing to another planet and pull a Tarchannen III out of our ass," Ron said. "Quarantine it and place warning beacons in orbit, so no one goes there. The Rachni deserve some form of life and peace, just like the Krogan." He looked at the downed form of Benezia. "Tag her and beam her to the _Ra-Cailum_. I'll have a team send down pattern enhancers so we can transport this thing out of here before blowing up the lab."

"Right," Takeshi replied. "Might want to have a Vulcan or Betazoid take a look at Benezia - I'm getting an odd reaction from my Spatial Awareness when I look at her."

The Rachni looked at the team, seemingly understanding what they were planning to do with it as more teams began to beam in to evacuate any survivors and prep for the use of whatever explosive device they planned on using.

* * *

_**Citadel - Office of Councilor Tevos**_

* * *

Tevos sighed as she listened to Captains Pinkerton and Yamato, as well as Commander Shepard and Lieutenant Yamato, as they gave their report.

"The Rachni, plus the Geth AND Borg technology?" she asked.

"_Yes,_" Ron replied. "_With the Batarians getting their asses whooped, securing a single Borg drone is easy. We've secured the Rachni and are en route to an undisclosed planet to drop it off._"

"Make sure it's not connected to the Relay Network," Tevos informed. "I agree with you that it should live a life of peace after everything that's happened, but I'd rather we not have a second Rachni War. If it's not connected to any relays, that makes it less likely that the Rachni will find their way back to the galaxy."

"_If there's a relay in the system, we'll destroy it first,_" Ron replied. "_We'll keep you posted. Pinkerton out._"

The transmission ended with Tevos blinking at the 'destroy the relay' part. They could probably rebuild a relay, given enough time, but… "Put me through to Agressia," she said into her comms. "I need an update on our program."

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest** _**- near uncharted planet**_

* * *

"What's it look like, Kim?" Takeshi asked as the ship hovered over the unknown planet.

"According to the scans, the planet is perfect for the Rachni," Kim replied. "Class-L atmosphere, cut off from the rest of the galaxy, no relay. The only way anyone's getting here is wasting their time in FTL."

"That's good," Takeshi replied. "Rina, contact the _Ra-Cailum_ - I think we have a home for the Rachni."

"Aye, sir," She said as she sent the message to the _Ra-Cailum_ via QEC, followed by the ship itself entering the system not fifteen minutes later and entering standard orbit.

"Ra-Cailum _to _Raging Tempest," Ron said over the comms. "_We're beaming the Rachni down now. We'll deploy the beacon as soon as that's done._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "After that, what's our next destination?"

"_We'll meet up with the _Normandy _near the edge of the Terminus systems,_" Ron said. "_After that, the council's going to have to send us any more intel._"

The _Ra-Cailum_ turned away from the planet, its' mission complete as both ships headed toward the system with the nearest mass relay.

It was only an hour or two later when they arrived at the Normandy, and that's when things got even worse.

The screens went blank, followed by the thing Takeshi never wanted to see appearing on the monitors. A Greek letter. Specifically, the last. Omega.

"What the hell?" Kim asked. "What the hell is doing this?!"

"I don't have computer control!" Rina called out. "It's all locked!"

Takeshi input his command code into the helm console, and things began returning to normal. "Brok'tan, you have the Bridge," he said, standing up from the helm. "I'll be in my office. Keep our current position until further orders."

"Aye-aye, sir," Brok'tan replied, as Takeshi left the Bridge.

"What the hell is that about? He never just ups and leaves without an explanation," Kim asked.

"Maybe we'll find out," Rina replied.

* * *

USS Ra-Cailum

* * *

Ron marched onto the bridge, inputting the command codes to unlock the computers before telling Riza to hold position and have all the sensor data transferred to his ready room. "Computer, seal the doors to this room," he said. "No entry without my authorization."

"_Doors sealed._"

He sat in his chair, then activated the monitor screen. "Access secured datafile Omega one," he said.

"_Voiceprint confirmed. State clearance code._"

"Pinkerton four-seven Alpha Tango, level 10," Ron replied.

The computer beeped in acknowledgement. "_Confirmed,_" it said. "_Sensors have detected the Omega phenomenon within 9.1 light years of this vessel. Implement the Omega Directive immediately. All other priorities have been rescinded._"

Ron held his head in his hands. "Computer, lock onto Captain Yamato's commbadge and beam him into this room."

Soon enough, Takeshi was beamed into his office. "Let me guess," he asked, not having reached his office yet. "Omega?"

"Omega. All priorities are rescinded as of this moment. Even the Prime Directive no longer applies."

Takeshi sighed. "I know the protocol calls for total secrecy, but I don't keep secrets from Linda - I don't keep them from the crew, period, but especially my wife. I'm going to have to bring her into it, at the very least. And it might smooth things over with the crews if we just tell them."

"Considering that we're not using our ships for this, I will have to agree," Ron said. "Computer, lock onto Commander Shepard and Lieutenant Yamato. Beam them directly into this room on my mark."

"_Acknowledged._"

"Pinkerton to senior staff," Ron continued. "Report to the conference room in 10 minutes. Inform the _Raging Tempest_ of the same."

"_Aye, sir,_" came the reply.

Takeshi tapped his combadge. "Takeshi to Shepard," he said. "Ron and I need to talk to you and Hitomi in person. Stand by for transport."

"_Wait, wha-_" Shepard began to ask.

"Computer, energize," Ron ordered, and the two Spectres appeared in the ready room, missing something rather important.

Their pants.

"Well… This is awkward." Ron remarked.

"No kidding," Takeshi replied, turning away from the two women. "I'll get some pants for them from the replicator."

"What the HELL was so important that you needed to beam us over without consent?!" Shepard demanded.

"The greatest threat in the known multiverse," Ron replied. "To quote the Borg, in this case, dignity is irrelevant. We'll brief you here, then have your team beamed over for briefing and a retrofit to the _Normandy_."

"Wait, Retrofit?" Hitomi asked. "The only thing that makes sense with that is if you fit it with your technology, but your Prime Directive-"

"Doesn't apply anymore," Takeshi replied, throwing the two women a pair of pants each. "This threat is so big that dealing with it even overrides the Prime Directive."

Both paused in the middle of putting them on, falling onto the deck in the process. "THE FUCK!" Shepard asked as she swiftly pulled the pants on before getting back up. "What the hell is this 'threat'?" Ron spun the screen around to show them.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- Conference Room C**_

* * *

The largest conference room on the ship was filled to the brim with Shepard's team, navigator Pressly, and the combined senior staffs of both Federation ships.

"What the hell is going on?!" Pressly glared. "Before we were… beamed here, your engineers were transported onto the Normandy! What the hell is this?!"

Sonja returned the man's glare. "I don't know what's going on. I was told to send them over under Mitod's command and nothing else."

The doors opened, allowing the four with the answers to enter the room. "Computer, lock the door, deactivate recording devices and activate audio suppression field, authorization Pinkerton Omega One," Ron ordered.

There was a beep as the order was carried out.

"Okay, people," Takeshi began. "You all want answers as to what's going on. We're about to provide them. First, though, let me say this: Because of the situation necessitating this, all other priorities, including the Prime Directive, are hereby rescinded until further notice."

Everyone looked shocked at this. "Wait, it's THAT bad?" Kaidan asked. "WORSE than the Borg?"

"Infinitely," Ron said as he brought up a file. "The Starfleet personnel have all seen this symbol." The emblem of Omega appeared on the monitors. "Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet. Chosen by Starfleet to represent a threat not only to the Federation, but to the entire galaxy. Only starship captains and Federation flag officers have been briefed on the nature of this threat. What you're about to hear will not go beyond this room. I will enforce it upon pain of death if I need to. Is that clear?"

They all nodded. This was serious if Ron was willing to go that far.

"Good," Ron said. An image of a molecule appeared on the screen. It appeared to be… more complex than even eezo. "This is Omega."

"A tiny little particle?" Ashley asked. "What's so bad about that?"

"Not just any molecule," Ron replied. "The most powerful substance known to exist. A single Omega molecule contains the same energy as a warp core, if not even more than that. In theory, a small chain of them could sustain a civilization. The molecule was first synthesised over a hundred years ago, by a Starfleet physicist named Ketteract, who managed to synthesise a single molecule particle of Omega but it only existed for a fraction of a second before it destabilised." He pulled up an image of a space station, clearly of Federation design. "This was a classified research station in the Lantaru Sector. Ketteract and 126 of the Federation's leading scientists were lost in the accident. Rescue teams attempting to reach the site discovered an unexpected secondary effect. There were subspace ruptures extending out several light years. Omega obliterates subspace. A chain reaction involving a handful of molecules could devastate subspace throughout an entire Quadrant. If that were to happen, warp travel would become impossible. Space-faring civilisation as we know it would cease to exist. Hell, maybe even mass effect-based FTL wouldn't work anymore. When Starfleet realised Omega's power, they suppressed all knowledge of it. And we've detected Omega here, in this universe."

Everyone's eyes widened. "So… the reason the Prime Directive doesn't apply anymore…" Linda began.

"Is because of this," Takeshi replied, nodding to his wife. "The Omega Directive is Starfleet's answer to the threat of the Omega Particle by any means necessary - when it's detected, the primary objective of any starfleet personnel on site is the safe elimination of Omega. Nothing, even the Prime Directive, matters in comparison to the threat Omega poses to all civilization."

"If we were back in our universe, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Ron said. "We would be in contact with Starfleet Command, and they'd send in a specialised team to deal with the crisis. In lieu of that, I am taking the best ship available: the _Normandy_. Mitod will be retrofitting the ship with a small warp core, a deflector shield generator, four detachable phaser array strips and a supply of photon torpedoes modified to be fired from your launchers, as well as an ablative armor system and a single transporter. Once the mission is complete, all of this will be removed from the _Normandy_."

Pressly nodded. "Hence the crews beaming over," he said. "OK, so, once the retrofit is complete, what's the plan?"

"I have a crew modifying another photon torpedo to destroy Omega, as well as a harmonic resonance chamber designed to contain and stabilize Omega so we have a target to shoot at. That brings up the reason for the retrofit." A stylized red 'hand' appeared on the monitor.

"What's that?" Ashley asked.

"That is the symbol associated with the Borg," Takeshi replied. "Given that you've never even heard of Omega before, the likelihood is that some of the Borg brought to this universe were working on Omega themselves - the Borg consider it the pinnacle of Perfection: their equivalent to God, if you will."

"It's also likely they weren't and will go after Particle 010 themselves," Ron informed. "We're on the edge of Batarian and Borg space and neither Starfleet ship will be able to assist. We destroy Omega and any source of the boranite ore used to create it. Dismissed. Computer, rescind previous command."

The Computer beeped as the doors unlocked, and everyone filed out of the room.

* * *

_**Kite's Nest - Vular System **_

* * *

The Borg had finished the assimilation of yet another Batarian Hegemony world, and their lives were adding to the perfection of the Collective. That moment faded when the Queen suffered an almost orgasmic reaction to a sensor reading taken by the Collective on the edge of their territory. '_Particle Zero-One-Zero detected. Particle Zero-One-Zero detected._'

"Yes… I know," she replied. "Send a ship to intercept Particle Zero-One-Zero. Omega will add to the perfection of the Collective."

A recently converted Batarian cruiser, now an almost complete Borg sphere, set course for the source of the Borg's holy grail.

'_Vessel detected,_' it reported. '_Federation Starfleet: _Sao Paulo_and _Sovereign_-Classes. One thousand lifeforms in total._'

The Queen scowled at the involvement of one of the few organizations to ever give them trouble. "Send tactical vessel 025 to intercept them," she ordered. "Assimilate if possible, destroy them if you can't."

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy** _**- on approach to Adek**_

* * *

"Approaching the coordinates now," Joker informed, having been notified of the basics of the reason for the refit - hunting down a Doomsday Particle. "Disengaging FTL." He then sighed. "Too bad these upgrades are only temporary - we could really use some of this stuff on a longer-term basis."

"We might, if the Alliance develops warp drive and we join the Federation," Shepard replied. "Captain, what are we seeing?"

"_Research station in orbit,_" Ron replied from the Cargo Bay. "_Looks to be hastily built from a pair of cruisers, seeing as this is a pretty nasty planet for Batarians. The source of the emissions is coming from the station itself._"

"Understood," Shepard replied. "Joker, take us in, fast and quiet."

"So, were the Batarians putting all their hopes on this thing?" Joker asked.

"According to Ron… I would think so," Shepard replied.

Joker guided the _Normandy_ into docking position, although the trip was NOT gentle. "Sorry about that," he said. "Turbulence of some kind."

"_It's being caused by Omega,_" Ron informed. "_And I just found out how they made it: the entire planet's crust is littered with boranite deposits. We're going to need to do something rather extreme to make sure the Borg can't use it._"

"How extreme?" Kaidan asked.

"_Causing a supernova,_" Ron replied. "_And I have the way to do it. Sending data._" Shepard looked at a nearby monitor. "_If we destroy a mass relay, it'll cause an explosion akin to a supernova: a Class-12 shockwave. Nothing in the system will survive._"

"Uh, that include us, or are we gonna make a heroic exit outta the system at the last second?" Joker asked.

"_I'll send out the _Zambezi _to tractor one of the asteroids into the damn thing,_" Ron informed. "_It's been equipped with a mass effect core, so it'll be able to make an escape. Rutia's volunteered to fly the runabout for some reason, but I won't complain. Once we're clear, this system will be a footnote in a book._"

"Understood," Shepard replied. "Captain, I'll want you, Hitomi, Kaidan, Tali, Garrus, and Nihlus with me at the Airlock - let's find Omega."

"Shepard."

The Spectre turned around to see Wrex walk over. "I want to go with the doc on the runabout," he said.

"What?" she asked. "Why?"

"She needs a co-pilot and I've always wanted to say I blew something up that no one's ever blown up," he replied.

Shepard pondered that, then nodded. "Alright," she said. "Have fun with her."

"You have no idea how much this means, Shepard," Wrex said before he walked away, heading for the lift before the team, plus Ron, arrived at the airlock.

"I have to tell you this, Commander," Ron said. "If I pause at any time or say something counter to destroying Omega… hit me."

"What?" Shepard asked. "Why?"

"I'm an ex-drone," Ron replied. "You've heard me call Omega by the borg designation. I might be compromised by the… lure of Omega. Just do it."

Shepard blinked, then nodded. "Alright," she said. "Hopefully it won't come to that, but I'll be ready in case it does."

The airlock doors opened, and they were introduced to the inside of the station. Bodies were everywhere, mostly burned and sometimes missing the lower halves of their bodies.

"My God, what caused this?" Tali asked.

Ron pulled out the tricorder and began scanning. "There's enough traces of subnucleonic reactions to indicate that there was enough to kill an entire solar system full of people on the station," he informed.

"Will we be alright?" Hitomi wondered.

"My implants protect me, and your suits have been… modified."

Shepard nodded. Good enough for her. "Let's move out," she said.

The team entered the core of the station, finding a boxy containment cell with a Batarian fused to the metal. "That is a nasty way to die," Garrus remarked.

"I wouldn't wish that on anyone, even a Batarian," Hitomi replied.

"We need to get Omega out of here before the Borg arrive, that way we can torpedo its' ass and get the fuck out of this solar system," Shepard informed. "Being this close to Borg space is making me jumpy. Captain?"

Ron pointed at several points around the containment unit. "Place pattern enhancers around it," he said. "That'll make it possible to beam them over to the containment unit on the _Normandy_."

As members of the team went to place the Pattern Enhancers, they were interrupted by swirling green columns of light… which materialized into Borg Drones.

"FUCK!" Ron yelled.

Two of the drones turned to Shepard, but paused because of the proximity to Omega, allowing Tali to shotgun them to death.

"Set up the enhancers and let's go!" Shepard ordered. "Garrus, Nihlus, you're on Borg patrol! Everyone else, set up the enhancers!"

Ron froze, and had to repeatedly shake his head. "I can hear them," he said. "Christ, I hate it when that happens."

Tali and Kaidan set up the pattern enhancers around the vessel, then activated them. "We're ready!"

"_Normandy_, beam Omega into the Containment unit!" Shepard ordered. "As soon as that's done, everyone back to the ship!"

The containment unit emptied of Omega as the sound of a transporter was heard. "_We had to detach, Commander,_" Pressly reported. "_Activating transporter._"

The team was beamed back to the ship, thankfully away from the station. "Joker," Shepard yelled, "GTFO, NOW!"

"Hang onto something!" Joker replied as he flipped the ship over, then moved at full throttle towards the Relay. A Borg Sphere gave chase.

* * *

**Danube**_**-Class runabout USS **_**Zambezi** _**- en route to mass relay**_

* * *

"I've never blown up a solar system before," Rutia remarked. "Well, might as well look at it from a doctor's viewpoint: the Borg are a disease. I'm injecting the body with a healthy dose of fuck you."

"HA!" Wrex crowed. The runabout was towing a massive asteroid, probably the same size as the one that ended the Mesozoic era, toward the relay at full impulse. "What about those torpedoes?"

"Modified and ready for delivery," Rutia replied.

"Good," Wrex replied. "Today marks the end of the genophage in my people."

The console began beeping out a warning as the Normandy shot toward the relay, still carrying Omega and pursued by a borg sphere.

"Aww, fuck." Wrex said.

The frigate ejected the Borg-designed containment vessel before the makeshift aft torpedo launcher fired the gravimetric torpedo, which impacted and destroyed the Omega particles.

"That's going to piss the Borg off," Wrex remarked.

Rutia cut the tractor beam and went to full impulse, heading for the relay. And Tuchanka.

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy**

* * *

"Omega's gone, but the Borg are REALLY pissed off!" Joker remarked, then blinked as the runabout made contact with the relay, heading for the rendezvous point. "I thought WE were supposed to leave first!"

"FLOOR IT, JOKER!" Shepard yelled.

The _Normandy_ made it to the relay, and zipped safely away from the system, seconds before the asteroid hit the relay.

The shockwave hit the sphere first, obliterating the Borg ship before going through the entire solar system, eventually touching the star and causing a true supernova, destroying everything and denying the Borg Omega.

"We're clear," Joker informed.

Sighs of relief echoed all throughout the Bridge at that. Then Hitomi asked. "Where's the _Zambezi_? We know they left the relay before we did…"

"I'm tracking the course now, but if she jumped to another relay, we'll never find them," Ron said. "Wasn't Wrex on that thing?"

Shepard blinked before she started putting it together. Wrex was a Krogan. Rutia Yulanra was a doctor who despised the genophage. The Federation had superior medical technology then the Salarians. "_**That's**_ why she wanted to pilot it, and Wrex wanted to go along," she said. "They've gone to cure the genophage."

Ron scowled. "That breaks the Prime Directive in so many ways it's not funny," he said, but his expression soon changed to an evil smile. "But under the circumstances of the Omega Directive, which will not be over until the equipment on this ship is removed, it's still in full action."

"So, as long as we wait for her to get back before removing the equipment, she'll be in the clear as far as your regs go?" Hitomi asked.

"Oh, no," Ron replied. "I'll have it all removed when we get back, but I'm going to tell them to take it NICE and SLOW, making sure this ship is exactly the same as we found it. I'll even ask them to give the ship a spit shine!" It was official. He was crazy. "How long until we get back?"

"Uh, 8 hours," Joker replied.

"Make it a day and I'll tell Rutia to cure your bone disease when she gets back," Ron said.

"Alright," Joker replied. "We do need to get back to the other ships, but no one said we couldn't take the scenic route…"

* * *

_**Tuchanka orbit**_

* * *

It had taken the _Zambezi_ only a few hours to reach Tuchanka, and they had no trouble avoiding the frigate nearby that tried to intercept them.

"I'll beam you down as soon as we're within range," Rutia said, "then begin the torpedo sequence. Then the Krogan are free of this thrice-damned plague."

"Got it," Wrex said as he stepped on the Transporter pad. "Thanks for this, Doc."

"We condemn the use of biogenic weapons. I'm just doing this to fix the problem," Rutia said before she checked the console. "75000 kilometers. We're within transporter range."

"Then it's time." Wrex entered the transporter alcove, then turned to face the doctor. "This is going to be the last time you look at a Krogan infected with the genophage, Doc."

"I'm taking pictures," she said. "Energizing."

Wrex disappeared in a column of light, reappearing on the surface, near the Urdnot clan compound.

He headed towards the Compound, carrying his Phaser Rifle as he went. Time for one last thing to do before rejoining the hunt for Saren.

The head of the clan glanced at Wrex as soon as he walked in. "Wrex," he said. "I thought you were offworld, doing something not worth doing."

"Oh, it was worth SOMETHING, uncle," Wrex replied. "I just saved our race while you just sat there, doing nothing!"

The Krogan stood up, pulling out a shotgun. "You're going to regret that, Wrex," he said, before charging at Wrex, who fired the phaser rifle at the old bastard and vaporized him.

The rest of the Krogan of Clan Urdnot all looked at Wrex, before one stepped up and said, "Urdnot Wrex, what words do you have to say as new Clan Head?"

Wrex chuckled. "We've been fighting for as long as we've been able to think," he said. "It's what we are! We make death a science! And we're damn proud of it! I'm not letting the Krogan simply get dragged into some damn history book, read by some Salarian centuries after we're dust! I found a group of people that I'm proud to call Krogan not of our blood! Warriors who have the power to conquer anything they put their minds to! They undid in less than a month what took the Salarians and the Turians years to do! I AM URDNOT WREX! I AM KROGAN! AND THIS IS OUR NEW BEGINNING!" That seemed almost timed as an explosive shockwave hit them, making the Krogan smile.

The other Krogans of Clan Urdnot began cheering, as some looked to the sky, watching the detonations of the modified torpedoes in the atmosphere like fireworks, causing the cure to be spread on the winds.

By the time the day was over, the genophage would be a thing of the past.

"They might not look like much, but they're worth being called Krogan," Wrex continued. "They saw our plight, and they vowed to destroy it. I didn't even ask them! They decided to help us of their own will, not expecting a reward! I'd say that makes them worth calling brothers in arms!" The _Zambezi_ flew overhead in a slow pattern, causing them to look at the craft. "Hell, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't even BE here! Treat these people with respect! They sure as fuck EARNED IT!"

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

Takeshi sat at the helm console on the bridge, watching the relay that the Omega team would return from. "I didn't think it'd take them this long to get here," he remarked.

It had been 23 hours since they left, and while the relay was gone, the Normandy hadn't arrived yet.

"Contact on sensors," Kim reported. "IFF reads SSV _Normandy_! they're back!"

The _Normandy_ dropped out of FTL, and they hailed the _Tempest_. "Normandy _to _Raging Tempest," Ron's voice called out. "_Sorry we took so long, but I wanted to take a bit of a walk._"

Takeshi chuckled. "That's fine," he replied. "What's the situation?"

"_The Borg still don't have Omega. Mission was a complete success._"

"Captain, we're being contacted by the Council," Rina said, paling. "Judging by the rude words they're using, they are not happy."

"Let Ron and the _Normandy_ take it," Takeshi remarked. "He can handle their BS better than I can."

"I'll patch us in so we can hear it," Rina informed. Seconds later, Ron's voice piped in.

"_Councilors,_" Ron said. "_Is there a problem?_"

"_Do you realize what you've DONE?!_"

"_I blew up a relay,_" Ron informed. "_I had a good reason._"

"_WHAT?! Not - You don't even know?! YOU BLEW UP A RELAY?!_"

"_I'll explain it in person,_" Ron replied. "_Just one word, though: Omega._"

"_I don't care! You CURED THE GENOPHAGE!_"

Takeshi's eyes widened. "That's a major PD Violation," he muttered.

"But technically doesn't count, because it happened when carrying out the Omega Directive," Brok'tan commented. "Clever."

"_Directive Zero, Subsection One,_" Ron informed. "_All orders upon activation of the directive in question, including General Order One, are rescinded until completion of the directive. I cannot charge whomever did cure the genophage of a crime because there was no crime to commit. Besides, you've been catching flak from everyone about this. Just say that you finally came to a decision to… release the krogan from their sentence of fear and because you couldn't do it, you asked us to perform the duty._"

"He hates politics, but he can play the game as well as any of them," Linda remarked.

"Agreed," Takeshi replied. "Talk about a game-changer, though."

"_Argh!_" Sparatus cursed.

"_Captain, what is this Omega you're talking about?_" Valern asked. "_There's only one Omega we know of, and that's a station._"

"_Sending data packet now,_" Ron replied. "_It's a good thing that if anyone's listening in and trying to access the intel from the call, it'll fry their computers. Gotta love viruses. You'll keep this to yourselves, or I will have your heads hanging from the prow of my ship. Pinkerton out._" The call ended after that.

"He definitely knows how to deal with politics," Takeshi remarked.

"Yeah…" Rina replied.

* * *

_**Citadel - Councilor Tevos office**_

* * *

The Asari shouldn't've been surprised at Flay's appearance, but she was. The S31 agent was reading a book, sitting in her chair. "Councilor," she said. "I heard about Omega. Thought I'd brief you."

"What IS Omega?" Tevos asked. "If it made Pinkerton break the Prime Directive-"

"The Omega Directive, or Directive Zero, makes all directives a non-factor. The Omega particle that the directive is named for is too dangerous for things like the Prime Directive to stand in the way. Omega destroys subspace. Without subspace, warp drive is useless. Is that good enough, Councilor?"

Tevos blinked, but nodded. "Yes, I understand," she replied. "Still, I doubt curing the genophage was related to stopping Omega."

"Starfleet has problems with biogenic weapons use," Flay replied. "Hell, an operation was destroyed because of that once. Besides, you can't prove it. Who will the Federation Council believe when the time to address that comes? A Starfleet officer who keeps a log so exact they can piece together his day from it? Or a group of races that used biogenic weaponry?"

Tevos got the picture. "I see your point," she said.

"Good," Flay replied. "I'll be going, then. By the way, your warp program is doing very well. TOO well. The last try nearly broke the barrier. If it weren't for my sabotage, it would have been a complete success. Two more tries, councilor. Then the day the successful test flight is due to begin, the _Ra-Cailum_ and _Raging Tempest_ will be there to see it."

Tevos nodded. "Very well," she said. "Goodbye for now, Miss Allster."

Flay beamed out, and repeated the process with Valern. Not that Tevos knew that.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- sickbay**_

* * *

Rutia had been marched into sick bay the second she came back, and was told she would be curing Joker's brittle bone problem. It was her 'punishment'.

'_Not much of a punishment,_' she thought. '_Two hours of work and he's perfectly fine._'

Still, she was proud of destroying the genophage. Leonard McCoy would be proud. '_What the hell am I doing? I'm a doctor, not a psychologist!_'

As soon as it was done, Joker was running through the halls, screaming like an idiot.

Speaking of which, he ran into Sonja, who was rushing to the bridge. "Get the hell out of my way!" she yelled.

The chief engineer rushed into a turbolift, heading for the bridge and Ron's ready room, where the captain was talking with Takeshi.

She barged in unannounced. "I've got it!" she yelled.

Takeshi blinked, and looked up. "Got what?" he asked. "And shouldn't you have knocked?"

"With due respect-" Sonja began

"You don't have any," Takeshi remarked.

"Fuck you, Captain Yamato," Sonja snapped. "I got it!"

"Got WHAT, Sonja?" Ron demanded.

"The way home!" Sonja said. "I've been studying ways to get us back, and I found it!" She put the PADD she was carrying on the desk, displaying a holographic image. It was a transwarp gate. "I've modified the design using a few ideas the Batarians had with their, uh, Omega program, plus our experiences with alternate universes. Using a quantum resonance scanner, I can lock onto our home universe's quantum signature. Then, we have a way back."

Takeshi looked over the image. "Sounds like it could work," he said. "How much time would you need?"

"Three days to build the gate with a little help from the Council races," Sonja replied. "I have the PERFECT place to put it, too!" She pointed at the general location of the Asari world Ilium. "We put it there, we have access to their trade routes if we decide to maintain contact."

"Well, the Asari have asked us to pay a visit to Agressia," Ron informed. It's one of their mining colonies, and they want us to deliver something to them: medical supplies, mostly. I'll take the _Ra-Cailum_ to Agressia. Takeshi, you go with the _Normandy_ to their next target. It's a nice little place called Virmire."

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "We'll help them deal with whatever Saren has there, then join you at Agressia. Might also have the _Normandy_ come with us once we're done on Virmire."

"Make sure they come back in one piece. No casualties. Those people aren't just our allies. They're our friends. And in your case, family."

Takeshi nodded. They'd gotten a chance to run a DNA test on Hitomi, and aside from the obvious gender differences, genetically she was almost identical to him. They'd considered each other siblings from that point on. "I'll make sure it gets done," he replied.

"Good luck."

* * *

_**Agressia orbit**_

* * *

The final warp fighter (and as far as the pilots knew, their last chance, as if this one failed, the program was cancelled) was in position. The _Markus Wolf_ was nowhere in sight, being hidden on the surface under cloak.

"_Preparations complete,_" the pilot reported. "_Beginning start up_."

"_Understood,_" the chase pilot replied. "_Good luck._"

"_This better work,_" the Copilot said. "_I'm tired of bailing out of these things._"

"_So am I,_" the pilot agreed.

Thessaly 5 began moving, and everything was just like before. "_Warp .7!_" the pilot reported. "_.8! .9! .97!_"

"_This is it!_" the Copilot yelled.

The fighter successfully jumped to warp, disappearing in a flash of Cherenkov radiation.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- En route to Agressia**_

* * *

"Captain, you're not going to believe this," the Science Officer reported.

"Tell me," Ron said.

"I'm picking up a warp signature!"

Ron smiled. "First sign of home in a month!" he said. "Where's it coming from?!"

"Near Agressia."

"Drop us out of warp!" Ron ordered. "Let's see who it is."

The _Sovereign_-Class ship dropped out of warp, ready to intercept/greet the warp ship.

Soon afterward, the other signature dropped out of warp - revealing Thessaly 5.

"What the…" Ron said. "Lifesigns?"

"Captain… they're Asari," came the report. "And if I'm reading this right, all of the parts are of local manufacture. There's no sign of anything from our ships."

Ron leaned back in his chair. "They developed warp drive," he said. "No help, only a vague idea of what the hell it does, and they make a working prototype. Open a channel."

* * *

_**Thessaly 5**_

* * *

"We did it! We finally did it!" the pilot yelled.

"Yeah, and look who spotted it!" the copilot replied, pointing out the window to see the _Ra-Cailum_ nearby.

They had done it, and with the _Ra-Cailum_ in full sight!

"_This is Captain Ronald Pinkerton of the United Federation of Planets starship _Ra-Cailum," Ron's voice said over the comms. "Do you need assistance, Asari fighter?"

"This is Thessaly 5," came the reply. "We could use a tow back to Agressia, Captain! We've been working on this for over 4 months! It's about time it worked!"

"…_We'll have you and your fighter transported aboard,_" Ron replied. "_It will be an honor to have you._"

"Understood, _Ra-Cailum_," the pilot reported. "Standing by."

* * *

USS _Ra-Cailum_ - bridge

* * *

'_Four months,_' Ron thought. '_We've only been here one. They did this by themselves._'

They were on the way to developing warp drive months before they got there.

"Sir, you know what this means," the Science Officer said.

"I know, T'Rerva," Ron replied. "They just became eligible."

The three keys: unified government, social progress and warp drive.

The Asari Republics may have been like ancient Greece, but they, too, were technically a unified state.

The social part was easy, too: Asari were VERY open minded.

And now… they had warp drive.

"Thessaly 5 is on board, Captain," the Operations Officer said.

"Contact the _Raging Tempest_," Ron ordered. "Takeshi needs to know about this."

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest** _**- Virmire orbit**_

* * *

Takeshi was once again sitting at the helm. Virmire was packed with AA Turrets, so the decision had been made for the _Normandy_ to drop the Mako, clear a path to the STG Team that had been investigating the place, so the _Normandy_ and perhaps the _Raging Tempest_ could land.

"Captain, we've got a message coming in from the _Ra-Cailum_," Rina reported.

"Put it on," Takeshi replied. "Let's see what's on Ron's mind."

The senior captain appeared on the viewscreen. "_Takeshi… You're not going to believe this,_" he said. "_Hell, if I hadn't seen it, I sure as hell wouldn't._"

Takeshi blinked. "What is it, Ron?" he asked. "What happened?"

"_The Asari… they were developing warp drive,_" Ron informed. "_Before we got here._"

Takeshi's eyes widened. "You serious?" he asked.

"_We ran into their version of the Phoenix en route to Agressia,_" Ron replied. "_It was their first successful warp flight. We're taking them back now, and… Takeshi, I think the Council, ours, will need to know about this once we get back._"

"Agreed," Takeshi said with a nod. "We'll need to get a more permanent portal set up between this universe and ours, so we can establish official contact."

"_According to Sonja, the gate can connect to another one, but we need another one on OUR end,_" Ron informed. "_If this works, we can have the SCE build one in Federation space. For now, though, your job is to take out Saren's base on Virmire. I want you to see this through personally, Take. Make this asshole regret fucking with the United Federation of Planets Starfleet._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "Also… given the circumstances, when we get the gate here finished, one of us should stay here, maintain at least a marginal presence in this universe until the gate back home is done."

"_As soon as you're done, head back to the Citadel,_" Ron said, chuckling. "_We'll head back to our universe. One of us is overkill enough. Think you can handle being the official Federation ambassador to this galaxy until we get back?_"

"I'll try my best," Takeshi said with a grin. "I was always more warrior than explorer or diplomat, but I'll still try my best."

"_We're heading to Illium now,_" Ron informed. "_The Asari are going pull together a corps of engineers to help us build the gate. Hell, the Turians asked us if we needed a favor a few hours after we left. Guess I'm calling it in. Good luck. Pinkerton out._"

The transmission ended, and Takeshi let out a breath.

"Well, looks like we're establishing a more permanent presence in this universe," he said. "With the Borg here, I was likely going to push for it anyway, but now it looks like it's official." He looked over to Rina. "Rina, status on the ground?"

"Shepard's cleared the AA guns on the ground," she replied. "We're clear to land, and the STG forces on the ground have a plan to destroy the base: a nuclear bomb. And there are reports of Krogan on the surface: probably clones working for Saren. But there are also reports of Geth and… modified Krogan. I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I," Takeshi replied, bringing the ship down into the atmosphere - like its predecessor the _Defiant_, the _Sao Paulo_-Class was capable of atmospheric entry and landing on a planetary surface. "Once we land, Linda will take a team of her choosing to take part in the assault. We'll keep the ship ready for anything that requires air support."

"I'll inform the _Normandy_," Rina said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Illium orbit

* * *

Two Asari transports and a turian dreadnought faced the _Ra-Cailum_ over the trade hub world, where the engineering teams from the two Citadel races were conversing on the latter ship with Sonja in one of the conference rooms, discussing the design and the construction problems.

Nearby, Mitod was going on building a major addition to the things orbiting Ilium: a _Regula_-Class starbase. They were small, used mostly for outposts and research stations (like the namesake, Regula 1).

Not as grand as _Lya_-Class starbases like Earth Spacedock, but it would do as headquarters and supply post for the engineering teams.

"This is going to be weird," T'Var said.

"Agreed," Ron replied. "I know trading would be a must if we had constant contact, but with the Asari developing warp drive, this opens up a major can of worms."

If the Asari so wished, they were now more than capable of joining the Federation.

"Not to mention this shows the other locals that it can be done with their tech," T'Var continued. "Depending on how long it takes us to build the gate, get back to our universe, and build the companion gate, we could be seeing the Turians, the Salarians, the Systems Alliance, and who knows how many other races building their own warp drives."

"Unfortunately, the Klingons won't be pleased about this," Ron informed. "Our relations with them might be getting better, but we're still on a knife edge. I do hope that retard J'mpok decides to be wise and reopen the Accords." The Klingons might find an ally in the Batarians, who were leaving their worlds en masse due to the Borg invasion, and maybe the Krogan, who also had a link to the Federation thanks to Rutia's actions in curing the genophage. It might prove to be the link that allied them with the Klingons again: the second Narendra III. "At least the starbase is getting built. Thank god for those prefab parts we kept in cargo bay 5."

"Agreed," T'Var said. "We'll likely need to keep a small team here to run it even when we head home - help keep the _Raging Tempest_ supplied with Torpedoes until we get a regular supply chain going."

"He's going to need to learn to use his phasers and photon torpedoes until we get a quantum torpedo manufacturing facility up and running," Ron replied.

The turbolift doors opened, and out came Sonja. "Good news, boss," she said. "The engineering crews are ready to get started."

"Good."

"Bad news is I'm going to need a lot of parts these guys just don't have to build the gate," Sonja continued. "We've got the equipment, but these guys don't have any experience using it. I'm going to need to have to leave almost all of my people here, including me and Mitod, to get it started."

"You're the only Starfleet Corps of Engineers personnel we've got," Ron said. "Do it. Leave a team on the Ra-Cailum to keep the ship patched up."

"I planned on it," Sonja informed, as the viewscreen showed the workbees building the Regula. "We're here to stay, it seems."

* * *

_**Virmire**_

* * *

After the AA guns had been blown to pieces, the entire team had been deployed to the surface, and the news of a lot of Krogan (likely clones) being down there had made Wrex VERY angry.

Saren had likely been planning to make an army with a genophage cure.

BIG mistake.

"I might hate you damn Salarians for neutering my people," he informed, "but Saren bribing these ones with a cure and revenge? Fuck that! My people are free of that shit!"

"Calm down, Wrex!" Shepard ordered.

"Screw calm!" Wrex yelled. "I'm going in there to fuck them up!"

"Well, at least he's angry at them and not us," Captain Kirrahe, the lead Salarian remarked. "We have enough Angry Krogan as is, but as long as his anger's directed at them, I don't mind. What was he meaning, though?"

"I doubt you've been informed, but the Starfleet ships cured the genophage," Hitomi remarked. "The second they heard about it, Captain Pinkerton and his ship's doctor were pissed off about it. They have a thing against bio-weapons. Have to say I agree with them."

"They _**what?!**_" Kirrahe exclaimed. "Do they realize what kind of threat they've unleashed?!"

"Captain Pinkerton told me a few days ago that they wouldn't unleash a mad dog they couldn't control," Shepard informed. "They might have a way to direct the Krogan's rage. Maybe they've got something the Krogan can fight back in their universe."

Kirrahe seemed thoughtful at that. He had failed the Borg technology recovery mission (not on purpose) and now that he knew the Federation didn't exactly approve of things like the genophage… well, the more you know. '_I will need to inform the dalatresses about this if we make it back,_' he thought.

At that point, the _Raging Tempest_ flew in, and Linda beamed down, along with Mogire, two Assault Squad Members, and a Fabrication Engineer. "What's the situation?" she asked.

"Bad," Kirrahe informed. "Saren has a large number of Geth and Krogan in the facility, and some of the Krogan are modified somehow. Two of my men were killed facing the one we saw. I have footage of it I can show you."

Linda nodded, but when Kirrahe pulled up the footage, she blanched at the alterations that had been made to the Krogan.

The Krogan in the file had dozens of extra implants, plus an eyepiece over the left eye and the left arm had been replaced with a sickening-looking hybrid of an assault rifle and a light disruptor cannon, as well as exoplating.

"Great…" Linda muttered. "Krogan Tactical Drones. Well, we knew Saren got his hands on Borg tech from Noveria. Still, This Is Gonna Suck."

"Tactical drones?" Kirrahe asked. "As in _**Borg**_ tactical drones?"

"What do you know about them?" Linda asked.

"A Salarian ship was attacked by the Borg. We managed to rescue some of the crew, but two of the civilians were in the process of assimilation. We… had to put them down."

Linda had an understanding look on her face. "We've been able to save people from the collective a fair amount - Captain Pinkerton among them," she said, "but often times we still need to do mercy kills if someone's been injected with nanoprobes." She then sighed as she looked back at the image. "But yeah, that's definitely Tactical Drone armoring on that Krogan. A regular Tactical Drone is bad enough - equipped with personal shields and more powerful weapons - but a _**Krogan**_ Tactical Drone is going to be a lot worse."

"Any weapons you can lend us to deal with them will be well received," Kirrahe informed. "They are using kinetic barriers, but they're sub-standard: like the Borg technology weakens it instead of enhancing it." That was something Morden figured out when they saw the Batarian drones discarding weapons instead of using them. They had recovered some weapons they tried to assimilate, but they were useless. "It appears Saren circumvented that issue. That energy weapon is as powerful as one of our GARDIAN point-defense weapons, if not more so."

Linda sighed. After a moment, she tapped her combadge. "Linda to _Raging Tempest_," she said.

"_Takeshi here,_" Takeshi's voice replied. "_What is it, Linda?_"

"Can you beam down a few dozen Phaser Rifles, and some TR-116s?" Linda asked. "Saren's got his hands on some Krogan Tactical Drones."

A moment of silence, followed by a sigh. "_Of _**course**_,_" he muttered. "_When it rains, it pours. Alright - we'll beam them down immediately. We'll send down some Target Designators, too - if they prove too tough, or you find too many at once, don't hesitate to call down the rain._"

"Understood," Linda replied. "Linda out."

"Is this at all related to General Order 24?" Kirrahe asked. "We heard of what happened to Feros."

"Actually, this is more 'Really Close Air Support'," Linda replied, "but we still want to keep it in reserve. Mix up your weapons loads with phaser rifles and mass effect weapons: those things are just as good as our TR-116s. Take what you need."

The crates beamed down, and the Salarians picked what weapons they wanted from the crates, as did the _Normandy_ Team. Wrex, of course, already had two Phaser Weapons, in addition to his Assault Rifle and Shotgun: a standard Phaser Rifle, and a spare cannon from the _Ra-Cailum's_ Titanoboas.

"What did it take to down one of the KroTacs?" Shepard asked.

"KroTacs?" Kirrahe asked, before he got it. "Oh, the assimilated Krogan. The shields were weak, but their physical resistance to damage has been… what is the human term? 'Dialed up to eleven'?"

"So it's like the ground version of any of our ships fighting the _Ra-Cailum_ or _Raging Tempest_," Ashley remarked. "Fucking wonderful."

"Typical when facing Borg," Linda remarked. "While not quite as bad as Wolf 359, Borg are still really tough to kill, on the ground or in space. Of course, on the ground, the race the Drone was assimilated from really affects how tough it is, so a Krogan will be really tough. Hopefully we can do it. Anyway, you have a plan to take out the base, I take it?"

"We're going to use the drive core from our ship as a makeshift bomb. Not as powerful as one of your photon torpedoes, but 20 kilotons of explosive force might do the job. The problem is delivery."

"Dropping it is out of the question, I take it?" Linda asked.

"Partially," Kirrahe explained. "The base itself has a large number of AA guns that would tear apart a delivery craft. There's also the problem of the detonator: it has to be triggered manually. After 30 seconds, there is no stopping it and no way to evacuate anyone forced to detonate it."

"We might have a solution to the second problem." Linda held up a small device.

"What's that?" Kirrahe asked.

"An Emergency Transport Unit," Linda replied. "Developed in 2379 by then-Commander LaForge, it's widespread these days, with everyone on an away team having multiples. Activate it, and it automatically beams you to the closest Federation Starship. It only works for one person, though, and it burns out after one use - it's why we have multiples. I can give one to whoever is detonating the bomb."

Kirrahe's eyes would have been dropping out had it not been physically impossible. '_We need to get our hands on warp drive: those ETUs would save the lives of hundreds of operatives!_' "Commander Shepard, I need to borrow one of your men to lead one of my teams," he said. "I know that I have no authority to ask you, but it is necessary."

Shepard nodded. "Kaidan, you'll go with them," she said. "Your Biotics and skills will definitely help out in their assault."

"Understood, ma'am," Alenko replied. Linda handed him an ETU, which he pocketed.

"Your team, Commander, will be codenamed Shadow," Kirrahe informed. You're going to hit them where it hurts while we distract them. Commander Yamato, your team will be codenamed Hammer. The naming reasons are… plainly obvious. Take part of Shepard's team with you: we don't have enough men to go with you."

"Understood," Linda replied. "Shepard, who would you recommend coming with us?"

The first word out of everyone's mouth was 'Wrex'. The Krogan smirked. He liked working with the Starfleeters.

"Anyone else?" Linda asked.

"Tali, you go with Commander Yamato," Shepard ordered. "They'll need a tech expert. If they aren't using borg computers..."

"Understood, Shepard," Tali replied. "I'll do my best."

* * *

_**Illium - Starbase **_**Yucatan**

* * *

The Regula-Class starbase was half-finished, but ready for the crews to start building the gate. In fact, several shuttles were already towing parts of a construction scaffold into position.

"It's going to take months to build that gate, Commander Henderson, even with your more advanced technology," an Asari said.

"Actually, this is only going to take about two weeks," Sonja replied. "The modifications will only take a few days, and testing… Well, depends if the quantum resonance scanner works properly."

"And the original version of this… links worlds throughout your Federation?" A Turian asked. "Sounds a bit like the Relays, only built by us instead of left behind by ancestors."

"Actually, we didn't invent the transwarp conduit system. We built our network, but we took the idea from someone else with a much bigger one."

"Really?" another Asari asked. "Who?"

"I think you know," Sonja informed. "They're currently raping the shit out of the Batarians."

The Turian's eyes widened. "You're saying the Borg have their own transwarp network?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. MASSIVE network with six transwarp hubs," Sonja informed. "We blew up one of them in 2378 when Voyager came home, and five years afterward, we didn't hear a damn thing from them until last year. Our network is much smaller, although if you want one as big as theirs, we'll need hubs like theirs." Sonja activated the computer core, bringing up the displays and the emblem of the Federation before the starbase's MSD replaced the Great Seal. "If the Asari are going to be joining the Federation, I'm going to need a list of your best engineers to take on as apprentices."

"Understood," an Asari replied. "You'll have that list within the hour."

Sonja stood up, heading to the door. "Follow me: we've got to bring the shield generator online, as well as the transporters and the new mass effect core. If this hybrid design works, we'll adapt it for every station in the Federation."

The others present nodded, before they followed her.

"What can you tell us about this type of station, Commander?" the Turian asked.

"_Regulas_ are research stations and advanced command posts most of the time," Sonja informed. "The first and most famous is Regula 1, although the station was abandoned after 2286."

"After the Battle of the Mutara Nebula?" an Asari asked.

"Ooh," Sonja remarked. "Someone's been studying history. Yeah, with the research staff getting killed, no one wanted to be there. It's a monument to our hubris towards genetic engineering and to playing God."

"So… these are your most common form of station?" the Turian asked.

"They used to be. The newest type of starbase is the _Mauretania_-Class: highly expandable, easy to build and far easier to upgrade, as you add things to the central core to build up the starbase. But in terms of size and capability…" She stopped at a console to pull up another image, this time of a much larger starbase. "The _Lya_-Class outstrips EVERYTHING. Earth Spacedock, the oldest one, held off a planet killer starship force for two hours. A _Mauretania_ wouldn't've lasted."

"Wow," an Asari remarked. "That's a lot of defensive capability, there."

"Best part is ESD's age," Sonja informed. "130 years old, yet it's built like a tank. It's still got five times the firepower of any starship we have in service, including the _Odyssey_-Class. Only weakness is the bulk of the station, but that's supplemented by smaller ships and the over hundred thousand personnel on board. If you want to try and take the station… you will die." The _Ra-Cailum_'s chief engineer walked off, heading for the generator.

"Wonder if we can get one of those built here?" an Asari asked.

"Not sure, but we'll see what happens," another Asari replied.

* * *

_**Virmire**_

* * *

Shepard had chosen quite the wrong path. She had entered part of the base that Saren had been conducting experiments with Borg and Geth technology on the Krogan. But this part of the base looked less and less human the deeper they went. Alcoves were lining the walls, only missing the drones that regenerated in them.

"Looks rather creepy," Hitomi remarked. "Is this what the inside of a Borg Ship would be like?"

"Probably," Garrus said. "I've never been inside one. Look at this."

Shepard looked at what Garrus pointed at. It was a Krogan tactical drone, only less Krogan and more Geth and Borg. The legs had been replaced with ones clearly based on the Geth, only far more robust and shorter, and one of the arms was now a mass effect/disruptor cannon hybrid, and most of the head was covered in implants.

"Great," Shepard remarked. "That's even worse than an assimilated Krogan - a Krogan/Geth/Borg Hybrid."

"I get the feeling we're going to have nightmares when we leave t-" Garrus was interrupted as the Krogan's eye opened. It was awake.

"OH SHIT!"

The drone… thing began firing at them with disruptor-infused mass effect cannon rounds.

The team all broke for cover, some firing with Phasers, the others with their ME-Based weapons. "Shepard to Linda, do you read?" Shepard yelled. "We've engaged some sort of Krogan/Geth/Borg Hybrid!"

"_What the bloody hell?!_" Linda exclaimed. "_Get the hell out of there! Takeshi, we have a problem that we can't deal with conventionally!_"

"_I heard!_" Takeshi replied. "_Shepard, activate a Target Designator, slap it on that thing, and get as far away from it as you can!_"

It fired another shot, barely missing Hitomi and OBLITERATING a wall.

"HOLY SHIT! RUN!"

The… thing continued to fire at them, destroying wall after wall. "This thing is a team's worst nightmare!" Shepard yelled as she managed to tag the monster with the designator before they got the hell out of there.

Soon after they had gotten away from it, Takeshi called out, "_Receiving signal from the Target Designator. Going hot!_" Soon enough, the sound of the Pulse Phaser Cannons could be heard as Takeshi hammered the Hybrid Drone with enough firepower to slag a Borg Probe in a single volley.

The floor collapsed, and they dropped several levels down. "Well, here's hoping we don't see ANOTHER one of those things," Shepard remarked as they approached a door, which opened and revealed HUNDREDS of the same thing, with slight variations, like the cannon arm or the implant number. "Oh… shit."

"Let that door shut, then weld it shut with the Phaser!" Ashley, who had discovered the welding capabilities of Phasers, said. "It might not stop them from getting out, but it should slow them down!"

"Wait," Garrus said. "They're… not moving." He was right: the krogan-based monstrosities were still as statues. "We should be able to cut through to deeper into the facility through here. And they should ignore us until they consider us a threat."

"And how are you so sure?" Shepard asked.

"I've studied up on Borg behavior from the database the _Ra-Cailum_ gave us," Garrus replied. "Borg drones are single-minded - as long as you don't get between them and an objective, or do something that makes them see you as a threat, they should just ignore you."

"They've practically assimilated the Batarians," Hitomi reminded.

"Because they wanted to add a new race to their Collective," Garrus said. "And because they were easily available, they decided to assimilate them. The Batarians who've escaped avoided fighting them. They might be able to start new lives elsewhere, maybe even in the other universe."

"I… guess that makes sense," Shepard remarked. "Still, I'm glad we'll be getting rid of this place."

They began tiptoeing past the Borg, hoping that they didn't wake up. "We might need a bigger bomb, Shepard," Ashley remarked. the nuke the Salarians have might not be enough."

"Are you SURE these things aren't going to wake up?" Hitomi asked Garrus.

"Even if they do, they might ignore us," he replied. Two Krogan drones marched to their alcoves, and they could see the team. "Lower your weapons!" Garrus hissed.

The team kept their weapons on safe and not pointed at the drones, who proceeded to ignore them as they stepped into their alcoves.

"That was… weird." Hitomi asked.

"They always do that," Garrus informed. According to reports from the Enterprise-E, the first team to run into the borg on board were ignored until they tried getting into main engineering. THEN they came out of the woodwork."

"Why do I get the feeling these things are more like Borg and less like what Saren wants them to be?" They approached a terminal, and they were greeted with a big surprise.

"Commander, look," Ashley said, pointing into a corner of the room. "It's another beacon. Like the one on Eden Prime."

"What the hell?" Shepard asked.

The device activated, and they were presented with a red-tinted holographic image of the ship the _Ra-Cailum_ and _Raging Tempest_ had damaged. The worst part was that it spoke.

"_**YOU ARE NOT SAREN,**_" it said.

"What the hell?" Nihlus asked. "Is this thing a VI or-"

"It's not a VI," Hitomi replied, looking right at the image. "Those Starfleet people were right. You're a Reaper."

"_**REAPER?**_" the image - Sovereign - asked. "_**A TITLE THE PROTHEANS GAVE US: A TITLE FOR THEIR EXTINCTION. WHAT THEY CALL US IS IRRELEVANT. WE SIMPLY ARE.**_"

"You're Sovereign," Shepard remarked. "News flash, asshole: there's a REAL _Sovereign_ waiting to kick your ass back into dark space! He kicked your ass over Eden Prime!"

"_**YOU SPEAK OF THE SHIP THAT CAUSED MY FIRST INJURIES IN AGES,**_" Sovereign replied. "_**AN UNFORESEEN VARIABLE, BUT NOT INSURMOUNTABLE. THE CYCLE CANNOT BE BROKEN.**_"

"We'll see about that," Shepard remarked. "Starfleet's coming, and when they do, I'll be there to watch them kick your asses. Tell your fellow Reapers that!"

"_**WE SHALL SEE.**_" The image faded away.

Shepard moved from where they had seen Sovereign, and moved towards the beacon. "What are you doing, Nicole?" Hitomi asked. "You remember what happened with the last beacon!"

"The vision that beacon gave me was incomplete," Shepard replied. "I'm hopeful this will give me a more complete picture - we need to know what the Protheans were trying to tell us about the Reapers. It might give us some clue to help stop the Reapers this time."

The beacon activated, but seconds later, green columns of light appeared as Batarian drones materialized inside the chamber. "Of all the fucking things - Linda, we've got actual Borg down here!" Hitomi yelled.

"_We know!_" Linda replied. "_Takeshi's engaging a cube in orbit!_"

"Dammit!" Hitomi replied. "Everyone, take them down! Cover Nicole while she deals with the beacon!" she suited action to words, firing a blast from her Phaser Rifle at the closest drone, followed by a shotgun blast.

That was actually a bad call, as the Borg were ignoring them and focusing on the Krogan drones, preparing to add them to the Collective. As such, one Batarian assimilated a Krogan, who activated the rest. And they began beaming up to the cube, leaving a few down on the surface to engage the team. "Congratulations, Lieutenant," Garrus snapped. "You pissed them off! They were IGNORING us!"

"Shut up and shoot them!" Hitomi replied, even as she let loose another blast.

The team continued shooting the drones, downing a few even as they kept them from getting close, even as the team surrounded Shepard, protecting her.

Nihlus fired his phaser rifle at a Batarian, but some form of shield blocked the shot. "Garrus?!" he asked.

"They've adapted! Remodulate or switch weapons! Either way, don't let them touch you!"

The Borg paused as another drone, this one being VERY unique, beamed in.

It was obviously female, and her body appeared to be mostly machine except for her bust and head, which were organic. She had no hair, though - rather she had mechanic parts in the place hair would be.

"You are the ones allied with the Federation," she said. "Interesting: two of you belong to Species 5618, but you are infested with that… substance."

"What?" Hitomi asked, stunned. "A drone that talks?"

"I… don't think that's a drone, Lieutenant," Garrus replied.

"I am the beginning. The end. The one who is many. I am the Borg."

Garrus seemed almost awed. Then again, who wouldn't be? "The Borg Queen."

"You know of us?" the Queen asked.

"Yes," Garrus replied. "You… you're the leader of the Collective."

"You imply disparity where none exists. I _**am**_ the collective."

At that moment, Shepard was released from the beacon, and finally noticed the Borg. "Borg!"

"Don't!"

"Indeed," the Queen replied. "Stay your weapons. I am not here to fight."

The Commander lowered her weapon.

"Species 5618," the Queen said. "Human. Warp capable. Origin, grid 325. Physiology inefficient, below average cranial capacity, minimal redundant systems, limited regenerative abilities. Our previous attempts to assimilate your species were all direct assaults. They failed. Thus we will not assimilate you: too difficult for now. But the day will come when your voice will add to our song."

"That's heartening," Hitomi remarked sarcastically. "So, if you're not here to assimilate us or to fight us, why _**are**_ you here?"

"Because… you are unique. A human who gathers those of other races to herself, those who detest her species. We do not wish to see you die. And in this time alone, you will be given our assistance. This world will be cleansed of all imperfection. The being known as Saren has created mockeries of my drones. When the time comes, you will deliver him to us."

"What makes you think we'd do that?" Hitomi asked, as everyone else looked like they agreed with her.

"Species 11063: Turian," the Queen said. "Hardened against radiation exposure and hardened dermal tissue makes them near-perfect tactical drones. Resistance quotient: non-existent. Homeworld: Palaven."

"You wouldn't-" Nihlus began, but was interrupted.

"Species 5618: Human," the Queen continued. "Homeworld: Earth. Resistance quotient in current reality: non-existent."

The threat was clear - if they didn't bring her Saren, she'd assimilate their homeworlds. "Alright, fine," Shepard replied, bile rising in her throat from having to do this. "Still, _**how**_ are we supposed to deliver Saren to you?"

"You will forward his location to us," the Queen replied. "We cannot detect him at this time, as he is not on this world. I will send a vessel to acquire the being. You may do with the creature Sovereign as you wish."

So Saren wasn't here. Well, that wasn't the best of news, but it worked. "You said you would help us destroy this place," Shepard remarked.

"We will fire tricobalt warheads at the facility, destroying everything," the Queen replied. "All lifeforms will not be here when that happens."

"What the he-" the team was encased in green columns of light, and the queen was VERY tempted to assimilate them.

The temptation faded as quickly as it came: she had to focus on the assimilation of the Batarians first. Some would get away, but the rest were trapped inside Borg space.

"Gather what data you can," she said to her drones. "We will depart soon."

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy**

* * *

Everyone from the ground teams suddenly materialized on the _Normandy_. Joker looked back from the pilot's seat at Shepard. "Uh… why did you beam in like that?" he asked. "Aren't Starfleet transporters whitish-blue?"

"I'll explain later!" Shepard yelled. "Shepard to _Raging Tempest_, do you read?"

"_I read you, Shepard!_" Takeshi replied. "_What's going on?_"

"Cease fire," she said. "The borg are blowing the base. As for why… they want Saren. They threatened to assimilate Earth and Palaven to make us cooperate."

"_They'll try sooner or later,_" Takeshi replied. "_You KNOW that._"

"Better later than sooner," Shepard replied. "We don't stand a chance against them right now. With the Federation, we stand a chance later on."

"_Okay, point taken,_" Takeshi replied. "_Let's not mention this to the Council, however - no clue how they'd react._"

"We'll head back and tell the Council the borg blew up the base after you were forced to beam us out. Contact Captain Pinkerton: we're going to need to explain this to him, too."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

"Excuse me?" Ron asked. "You AGREED to give them Saren?"

"_More like threatened,_" Shepard replied. "_The Queen threatened to attack and assimilate Palaven and Earth, and you're both just two ships: you can't hold off an entire Borg armada._"

Ron was reminded of Wolf 359. his grandparents were killed there, and his father was assimilated in 2373 by the Borg when they hijacked the _Enterprise_-E. And he was assimilated just 6 years prior, and only broken out during the attack on the Vega colony. "Commander, Takeshi, go back to the Citadel," he said. "Sonja's beginning construction of the gateway, and we'll be able to test it in less than a week."

"_I thought you said it would take two,_" Takeshi replied.

"The Salarians have offered to help," Ron informed. "That's speeding things up. I'll send a shuttle through with our log entries and how we did this. After that… god help us all."

"_Right,_" Shepard replied. "_We'll see you at the Citadel, then._"

"I have to stay here for now. But I'll keep my engines on hot standby. Just in case everything starts going to shit. Takeshi, no matter what, I want you at the Citadel. I've quantum dated that thing: it's millions of years old. The Protheans didn't build it."

"_The Reapers,_" Takeshi replied. "_It has to be. They created the Citadel, likely the Mass Relays, too - every civilization that rises relies on them, and the technology of those who came before, and are easy pickings for the Reapers!_"

"_Sovereign - the Reaper - did mention a 'cycle',_" Shepard informed.

"Cycles break, and we're breaking this one," Ron said. "Shepard, as of this moment, I'm granting you a field commission to the rank of Commander. Welcome to the Federation Starfleet. It'll help get you free if the Council decides to stop you from leaving. Tell them you have our authorization. Also… Sovereign?"

"_It's what the Reaper called itself,_" Shepard replied. "_And thank you very much._"

"_I'll shoot you a catalogue of the various uniforms available to Starfleet Officers,_" Takeshi informed. "_If you're going to need to throw your new status around, you'll likely need a visible symbol of that status._"

"That's it, people," Ron said. "Good luck. All my hopes. Pinkerton out." The transmission ended, and Ron looked out the viewscreen to see their gateway, which was almost halfway complete. Building it was the easy part: that could take a day or two, depending. Getting it working… that was the hard part. Sonja was going to make it work: she was one of the people who helped set up the Federation network as a Lieutenant before getting posted to the _Ra-Cailum_. The issue was getting it right the first time. '_I have faith,_' he thought. '_She'll do it._'

* * *

_**Citadel**_

* * *

The _Raging Tempest_ and _Normandy_ were docked at the Citadel again, and Takeshi, Shepard, Hitomi, and Nihlus stood before the Council. This time, though, Shepard had exchanged her armor for a similar uniform to Takeshi's, only with Commander's Rank Insignia.

They were all very surprised about the uniform. When asked about it, they said Ron gave her a commission, and that it won't affect her work with the Alliance or the Council.

"The Borg destroyed the base?" Tevos asked.

"They beamed in drones and assimilated the Krogan… things Saren was working on, but the _Raging Tempest_ got us out of there before they could try to assimilate us," Shepard replied. "They couldn't hold off the cube AND protect the Normandy all at once."

"I see…" Sparatus remarked. "Well, against a foe like the Borg, even Starfleet has problems, from what I've seen of the footage - it just goes to show how powerful they are. It's good to know that the base was destroyed, at least, even if it was the Borg that did it."

"We were also able to access another beacon, and we've identified the ship that attacked Eden Prime," Shepard said. "I know you don't want to hear it, Councilors, but it's true. The ship isn't a ship. It's a Reaper calling itself Sovereign."

They sighed. "You are right," Tevos said. "We don't want to believe it, but given Starfleet's encounters with ancient sentient machines in the past, we have to admit that is a possibility - and apparently, you've just confirmed it."

"There's more," Takeshi informed. "Ron's quantum-dated the Citadel: this place is millions of years old, way too old to have been made by the Protheans."

"But… his crew never took anything from the station," Valern informed.

"Quantum dating uses scans of the object in question," Takeshi replied. "The oldest quantum particles inside the object give off its' age. Of course, there is an oddity about this type of scanning technology: anything that comes from the future has a negative number instead, no matter how old it is. For example, if we quantum dated you after you were sent back in time, you would have a negative number indicating how far you were sent back instead of your actual age."

Valern cupped his chin in thought as he began thinking of ways to use that sensor technology. "Commander, what about Saren?" he asked.

Shepard sighed. "He was never on Virmire," she replied. "He fled from the planet before we got there, or after the krogan hybrids took over."

Sparatus sighed. "Well, that isn't good," he said. "Do you know where he's going next?"

"No, but the beacon did plant more information in my mind," Shepard informed. "I'm going to be paying a visit to the _Raging Tempest_ in order to put all of it in order and figure out where I'm going next. It might not be as expansive as the _Ra-Cailum_'s sickbay, but they've still got some of the equipment to do the job."

The fact that a warship had THAT kind of medical equipment was rather unnerving. "…Very well," Tevos said. "Do what you must, Commander. after that, however, we want you to check a mysterious ship sighting near the Pangaea Expanse. We could not identify it. Perhaps you can. We will send the data to the _Raging Tempest_."

"Understood, Councilors," Shepard replied. "And thank you." The group all turned and left the Council Chambers.

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest** _**- sickbay**_

* * *

Sickbay was rather basic, being more of an infirmary than anything else, but they still had all of the equipment they needed to straighten up Shepard's new memories. A transparent aluminium half-dome with several small probes attached to it that was size of an adult human's head was the thing that was unnerving Shepard the most. "Uh… do I HAVE to put my head in that thing?" she asked.

"It's perfectly safe," Mogire asked. "A less-advanced version of that thing saved Admiral Riker's life back in 2365, and that only stimulated memories while unconscious. This one allows you to actively access them while you're awake and even awakens repressed memories!"

Hitomi took one of Shepard's hands in hers. "I'll be right here beside you the whole time, Nicole," she said.

"Let's get this done. The less time I spend near that thing, the better," Shepard said, laying down on the biobed as the device in question was placed over her head.

"Just relax," Mogire instructed.

A probe punched through the skin and skull, much to Shepard's discomfort. "Ow!"

"I'm placing things where they usually aren't supposed to go," Mogire informed. "Of COURSE it's going to hurt." Several more neural probes and more complaints from shepard later, the process was complete. "Ok, activating neutral interface." The pattern appeared on a monitor, mostly as an EKG-type reading. "Good lord, this is a mess. I'm going to start jump starting the process of reorganizing the memories, but it's not going to be pretty."

"What do you mean by that?" Hitomi asked, worried for her lover.

"Think of it like this," Mogire said. "Any memory she has, pleasant or otherwise, conscious or not, is going to be experienced in the span of fifteen minutes. I'm starting to wish this was a bigger ship: I'd have a more expansive sickbay and this wouldn't be as crude." She pressed several buttons, and Shepard winced and flinched several times. "Humans say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. Well, Shepard's experiencing the flashing without the dying. In a few minutes, though, she's going to WISH she was dead."

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest** _**- bridge**_

* * *

While Shepard was undergoing what was jokingly called shock therapy, Takeshi and Linda were sifting through the sensor readings the Council sent them.

"This might be a fool's errand," Linda said. "We might have a large database, but we don't have every ship in this universe listed."

Takeshi shrugged. "Better to try and fail than not try at-"

The computer beeped before he could finish. "_Match found,_" it said. "_Cross referencing with known starship classification._" The ship class in question was type-matched seconds later. The image was enough for a bit of nightmare fuel.

"No way that's supposed to be in this universe," Linda said.

"Yeah," Takeshi replied. "That's a _Scimitar_-Class Warbird if I've ever seen one - what would it be doing in this universe, though."

"We'll need to find out, but we can't go," Linda reminded. "Ron ordered us to stay here and protect the Citadel."

"We'll inform him about it and he can go check it out," Takeshi decided. "Rina, open a channel to the _Ra-Cailum_."

"On it," Rina replied, as she set up the channel.

Ron appeared on the screen, missing his jacket and wearing the vest used in lieu of it. "_Take?_" he asked. "_What the hell's going on? I was in the middle of a meeting with a Turian general._"

"We've got an unusual situation we need you to check out," Takeshi informed. "The Council wanted us to check a 'Mysterious Ship Sighting' in the Pangaea Expanse. We went over the data, and know why it was 'Mysterious'." He paused a moment. "Ron, it's a _Scimitar_-Class Warbird."

"…_Fuck me with a parsec-long pole,_" Ron said after a moment. "_We'll check it out: the _Ra-Cailum'_s got twice the armament of the _Enterprise_-E back then, so we can hold it off if that thing's Tal Shiar. If it's Romulan Republic… well, that changes matters._"

"Gotcha," Takeshi replied. "We'll inform the Council. Also, Shepard's in the process of getting the Vision decrypted in our sickbay, right now - once that's done, she'll know precisely what it's telling her, and where they'll need to go to find that 'Conduit' thing - and Saren."

"_Remind me to talk to the boys at the UPIDB about upgrading the sickbays on the _Defiant_-type,_" Ron said. "_She is going to be PISSED when she gets up. Pinkerton out._" The transmission ended, and the view of the Citadel returned to the screen.

"He is right, you know," Linda remarked. "Luckily, she'll have an outlet - Saren, the Geth, and Sovereign."

"True," Takeshi replied. He then tapped his combadge. "Takeshi to Sickbay. How's Shepard doing?"

"_Pissed off,_" Mogire replied. "_We have a location, though: Shepard's using the computer to calculate the position now. She'll send the intel to the _Normandy _when she's done._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "Linda, I want you on that team. Take one of the Titanoboas Ron made for us onto the _Normandy_: two tanks are better than one."

"Right," Linda replied. "See you later, Takeshi." She gave him a quick kiss, then left the bridge.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- edge of Pangaea Expanse**_

* * *

The Sovereign-Class starship arrived only a few hours later by virtue of the mass relays, at yellow alert. "Slow to impulse," Ron ordered. "Start scanning for that dreadnought warbird."

"Scanning," Corpsa said. There was silence for a few moments, then… "I've found it, and I'm detecting another ship nearby."

"Romulan?" Ron asked.

"No," Corpsa replied, blinking. "It's something that's incredibly old, possibly 200 years or maybe older, but it's been patched and repaired so much that I doubt there's much original material."

"Scan for lifesigns," Ron ordered.

"Over 500," Corpsa replied. "Captain, according to this, they're Quarian."

"Quarian? Tali's people?" Ron asked.

"Yes, sir," Corpsa replied. "They must've discovered the ship."

Ron shook his head. "We cannot let the Quarians get their hands on that _Scimitar_," he said. "Scan that warbird and open a channel to the Quarian ship."

T'Var looked at the captain. "Sir, the vessel is a Scimitar-Class warbird, but far older than most of them," she said.

"You're sure?" Ron asked.

"Yes, Captain." The Vulcan science officer pulled up the scans on a screen. "The ship has also taken a large amount of damage. The weapons signatures appear to match that of a Starfleet _Sovereign_-Class starship."

"How the hell is that possible?" Ron asked.

"I am also picking up traces of thalaron radiation and a faint IFF beacon," T'Var said. "This isn't just _**a**_ _Scimitar_, Captain… it's _**the**_ _Scimitar_."

Shock could not begin to describe Ron's reaction. "Shinzon's warbird," he said. The ship that nearly killed Earth. The ship that cost Starfleet one of its' finest officers. "Scan for positronic signatures!"

"Captain?" T'Var asked. "If the _Scimitar_ survived, so did Data's original body! We can figure out how this thing got here later!"

"Captain, I have the Quarian ship on the line," Corpsa replied. Ron sat back in his chair, composing himself. "On screen."

The image of another Quarian appeared on the screen. "_This is Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib. You must be the Captain Pinkerton of the _Ra-Cailum _that has the whole galaxy getting turned on its head._"

Ron was tempted to make a comment about his name, but he would be the bigger man. "I am," he said. "Admiral, with respect, I'm going to have to ask you to hand over that warbird: the Prime Directive applies even to the Quarians."

"I'm sorry, Captain, but we need this ship," the Admiral replied. "Our people need this ship."

Ron sighed. "I wish I could let you have it," he said. "I really do. But it seems I need to take it from you. Please, don't take this seriously: I'm just trying to protect you from yourselves."

"_I understand, Captain," the Admiral replied, "but I cannot back down. Zaal'Koris out._"

The screen showed the Quarian ship alongside the Scimitar. "Status on the _Scimitar_?" Ron asked.

"I'm reading some patchwork over the battle damage, and even an Eezo core," T'Var replied. "Looks like the Quarians have already been here a while."

"Damn it," Ron growled. "That means they probably repaired the weapons systems and the cloaking device. The Quarian ship isn't a threat: all weapons to full power and target the _Scimitar_!"

Even if the ship was a dreadnought warbird, it was 30 years behind the times. The _Ra-Cailum_ was more than a match for the first ship of her class. The warbird banked, albeit sluggishly, and fired her disruptors at the _Ra-Cailum_.

"Shields down to 89%" Corpsa reported after the ship shuddered from the hit.

"Return fire," Ron ordered. "All phasers; stand by quantum torpedoes."

"Sir?" Corpsa asked.

"The _Scimitar_'s cloaking shields were disrupted by the _Enterprise_-E using quantum torpedoes on it," Ron informed. "Until it cloaks, fire all photon torpedo launchers, rapid fire mode."

The _Ra-Cailum_'s more up-to-date weapons fired on the old warbird, which began to run before engaging the cloaking device.

"Damn it!" Corpsa yelled.

"Reset phasers to one one-hundredth of a percent power and fire in a 360 degree arc," Ron ordered. "We're going to have to do this the hard way."

The phaser arrays fired in all directions, striking both the Quarian ship (which took no damage) and the _Scimitar_'s shields.

"Got you," Ron said. "Continue firing in that general area; stand by to fire quantum torpedoes."

* * *

_**Former Reman Warbird **_**Scimitar**

* * *

"Shields are down to 50%!" One Quarian reported. "And that last attack allowed them to see our general location!"

"How did they-" Zaal'Koris began to ask before the ship rocked from another impact.

"The shields are down to 35%, and the cloaking field is unstable!" the first Quarian reported. "If they hit us again-"

Two more quantum torpedoes hit the _Scimitar_ again, revealing the damaged warbird in all its' glory.

"The cloak is down!" came the report. "Shields are weakening!"

The _Ra-Cailum_ continued her assault, damaging the aft shields as the ship ran away.

"The aft shields are almost gone!"

"Evasive maneuvers!" Zaal'Koris ordered. "Try and avoid their-"

The _Scimitar_ rocked again, and several consoles sparked from the overloads they received.

"Aft shields are down!"

"_Assault team to bridge,_" came a report from elsewhere on the ship. "_The android is gone! They beamed it off!_"

"Divert all power from the weapons into the shields!" Zaal'Koris ordered. "Warp us out of here _**NOW!**_ Don't head directly back to the Fleet - go to a system with a Relay, then jump us to the Fleet from there! We need to make sure that he can't follow us there!"

The _Scimitar_ jumped to warp, but Korris forgot the _Ra-Cailum_, too, had warp drive, and the _Sovereign_-Class ship followed him, firing photon torpedoes at the Scimitar the whole time.

"Admiral, we need to divert more power to the shields!" came the report.

"Take life support offline and switch to suit functions!" Zaal'Koris ordered. "We NEED this ship!"

The Scimitar dropped out of warp and entered the refuge system, heading for the mass relay. "Ra-Cailum _to _Scimitar," Ron called out over the comms. "_Stand down, Admiral! I don't want to shoot at you, but I can't let you have that ship!_"

"I can't do that!" Zaal'Koris replied. "With this ship, we might finally possess the power to retake our homeworld! We can't just give it up!"

"_And I have to uphold the Prime Directive!_" Ron replied. "_I'm sorry, but I need to do this!_" more torpedoes hit the Scimitar before it made contact with the mass relay and jumped out of system.

"My apologies, Captain," Zaal'Koris said, even though Ron couldn't hear him anymore, the transmission having cut when they hit the relay. "We do this for the good of the Fleet, so that we can finally reclaim our homeworld from the Geth."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

"FUCK!" Ron yelled as he slammed his hand on the armrest. "Open a channel to the _Raging Tempest_. Takeshi isn't going to like this."

A few moments later, Takeshi's image appeared. "_What's up, Ron?_" he asked. "_Did you figure out who that _Scimitar belonged to?"

"It wasn't _**A**_ _Scimitar_," Ron replied. "It was _**THE**_ _Scimitar_. Shinzon's warbird. It ended up here somehow."

Takeshi's eyes widened. "_No way,_" he breathed. "_That's crazy! It should have been destroyed by what Commander Data did to it at the Bassen Rift!_"

"IFF and battle damage confirmed it," Ron said. "It was the _Scimitar_. The thalaron energy must've overloaded the singularity core and opened a brief hole between our universe and this one. I've even got proof."

"_What?_" Takeshi asked.

"Data's body. We beamed it off the _Scimitar _just before the bastards could re-raise their shields."

Takeshi sighed. "_Someone else found it first, didn't they?_" he asked.

"A Quarian ship found her and brought it back to operational status. We nearly destroyed it, but it escaped through a relay."

Takeshi facepalmed. "_Well, we can pretty much screw the PD as far as the Quarians are concerned,_" he remarked. "_No way will they want to give it back, and I doubt we'd be able to force them._"

"The Romulan Republic will be," Ron said. "Anything the Star Empire had is their property. And a few _D'Deridex_-Class Warbirds with modern equipment are more than a match for the almighty _Scimitar_. Still, we'll deal with the Quarians later. We're heading back to Ilium. Tell Shepard that if she finds Sovereign… he's mine."

"_Funny you should mention that,_" Takeshi replied. "_Shepard and the _Normandy _took off an hour ago - she finally got that Vision deciphered. They think the Conduit's on this planet called Ilos, and it's possible Saren might already be there, so they're making best possible speed. Linda and one of the Titanoboas you gave us are with them._"

"And there goes that problem," Ron remarked. "We'll head back to Illium. Pinkerton out."

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy** _**- en route to Ilos**_

* * *

the Normandy exited FTL, flying past the _Ra-Cailum_, who had chased the _Scimitar_ into the same system.

"Whoa, shit!" Joker yelled as the prototype stealth ship barely avoided the _Ra-Cailum_ before the other ship used the relay to head back to Ilium.

"Well, looks like his search for that _Scimitar_ took him out this way," Linda remarked. "Wonder how it went?"

"A bit of warning or a sorry would've been nice!" Joker snapped.

"Believe me, that was nowhere NEAR dangerous," Linda informed. "If we were 5 meters away, then there'd be a problem."

"Just get the Mako and the Titanoboa down there, Joker," Shepard ordered. "Show off those skills of yours." Joker scoffed before taking the _Normandy_ down. "Hope you don't get sick."

As they headed down to the cargo bay, Linda said, "Likely will need to bring the full team in for this one. I'm assuming you and Hitomi will take the Mako? We'll need to split the rest between the Mako and the Titanoboas… or perhaps just the Titanoboas, given that I think they're _**terrified**_ about how you drive, Shepard."

"Why do you say that?" Shepard asked. "I don't think I drive that bad."

"We'll compare you to some of the worst drivers in history later," Linda quipped. "Let's get down there."

* * *

**Ron the True Fan: And we've pulled out the Scimitar. The ship exploded with almost no debris, so I used that as an excuse. I regret nothing!**

**Takeshi Yamato: And we're closing in on the ME1 Endgame! With Borg, Reapers, Geth, and two Federation Starships getting involved, it's going to be a lot more hectic and chaotic than in canon.**

**Ron the True Fan: Keep ready for the next chapter. First contact with the Federation isn't going to end so well for the Reapers!**

**Takeshi Yamato: Not to mention the Klingons will likely want a piece of the action, to say nothing of the Romulan Republic. Also… KROGAN VS. UNDINE! BATTLE OF THE MILLENIUM! PLACE YOUR BETS NOW!**

**Ron the True Fan: Until then...**

**Both: Ja Ne!**


	5. Chapter 4: Life and Death

Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!

Takeshi Yamato: We also don't own Mass Effect, or anything else that might make a cameo in this story… what can I say, I love importing things from other franchises and tweaking them to fit the destination! It still belongs to whomever created it, though.

* * *

_**Ilos - Surface**_

* * *

Saren and a platoon of Geth were making their way down a corridor, headed towards the Conduit, when suddenly the sound of engines could be heard as the _Normandy_ swooped in from above.

"You have GOT to be kidding me," he groaned. Those humans and the Borg were the two largest pains in his ass (and Sovereign's) since the whole debacle began! "Close the doors. Give them a warm welcome."

The Geth nodded as the _Normandy_ dropped not one, but TWO craft: the Mako and that Starfleet buggy.

They dropped down a hole in the corridor, just barely managing to come to a stop before the doors, which had closed as they landed.

"Dammit!" Hitomi yelled. "We're cut off!"

"There's got to be a switch to control the doors somewhere," Linda replied. "We just have to find it."

Wrex scoffed. "Tech heads," he muttered. "That door's made of what? Titanium?"

Linda pulled out her tricorder. "Tritanium and a small amount of iron," she replied. "Why?"

"Damn," he replied. "Thought I'd be able to burn our way through with the phaser cannon. No luck there. Oh, well. Roll this thing up to the Geth and I'll shoot em."

"Tali, Garrus, Hitomi, and myself will go to find a way to open the doors," Shepard informed, as she got out of the Mako. "Everyone else, protect the vehicles!"

The Geth began shooting at them, but they clearly didn't remember the Krogan on the phaser cannon as he began shooting at them. "COME ON, YOU COWARDS!" he yelled. "SEND SAREN OUT HERE TO FIGHT ME HIMSELF!"

While Wrex pulled the aggro maneuver, the rest of the team outflanked the Geth and wiped them out with phaser and ME-weapons fire.

"Shepard, there's a console over there!" Garrus pointed out. "It might be linked to the doors!"

Shepard went over, and began working on the console.

"This should get the door - there," she said. A side door opened, allowing them to enter the complex, but without the vehicles. "Shit. Wrex, pull the cannon off that mount: we're going to need to go inside."

Wrex nodded, pulling the cannon off the Titanoboa, as the group began moving in. "Williams, you and Alenko stay here, protect the vehicles until we get back," Hitomi ordered.

* * *

_**With Saren**_

* * *

The Turian smiled as he watched the tiny relay spin up. It was going to take a while, but it would take him where he needed to go. The Citadel. It was the key to the invasion, and to the return of the Reapers. '_Two ships can't stop a fleet,_' he thought. Several explosions were heard inside the complex. "What in the HELL are those humans USING? A nuclear warhead?!"

The explosions continued, even as the relay continued spinning up.

As soon as it was ready, the Turian signaled Sovereign. It was time to begin.

* * *

_**With the dream team**_

* * *

Geth parts flew everywhere as the team entered a large chamber. "What the hell?" Hitomi asked. "This place looks like a… storage facility or something."

A hologram sprang up from a console in front of them. "_You are not Prothean,_" it said. "_But you are not machine, either. This eventuality was one of many that was anticipated. This is why we sent our warning through the beacons._"

"A Prothean VI?" Linda asked. "Well, the universal translators are working, so it's easy to see why we can understand you."

"_I do not know what you speak of, but regardless, none of you are indoctrinated, like the other that passed through,_" the VI said.

Wrex activated the phaser cannon, pointing it at the hologram. "WHERE IS HE?!" the Krogan demanded.

"_He is still on this planet, but not for long,_" the VI informed. "_He is going to use the Conduit._"

"And… what is the Conduit?" Hitomi asked.

"_What was to be the Prothean's greatest achievement,_" the VI replied. "_Built by studying the Mass Relays, it functions like one, but is much smaller. Two nodes were constructed. One here, and one on the Citadel._"

"Oh, fuck," Shepard remarked. "What happened for THAT to happen?"

"_The Protheans were slowly conquered,_" the VI replied. "_After centuries, and only a few remained here, the last remaining scientists managed to corrupt the Citadel's command codes. The Keepers ignored Sovereign's call._"

"If Saren gets there, we're fucked," Shepard said.

"_I have a program encoded onto a datachip,_" the VI informed. "_If Saren has gotten to the Citadel and activated its true function - a massive Mass Relay to bring in the Reapers - you can use it to corrupt the defenses, and take control yourself._"

Tali went and took the datachip, then handed it to Shepard.

"Back to the vehicles!" Shepard ordered. "Double-time!"

"Might be a good chance to call in the Borg, too," Hitomi remarked. "They want Saren, after all."

"Oh, they probably listened in on our transmissions," Shepard remarked.

"Huh?" Nihlus asked.

Shepard tapped her armor. "Open mic," she informed. "If the Borg were monitoring, they know where he's going."

"Oh, that's downright evil of you, Shepard," Garrus remarked. "I like it."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

Ron couldn't take it anymore. "Fuck this," he said.

"Sir?" Corpsa asked.

"I'm not sitting here building a gateway when we're going to be in deep shit," Ron elaborated. "Riza, set course for the relay. Take us to the Citadel."

"Aye, oniisama," Riza replied. "Intuition?"

"Voices," Ron said. "Just… voices."

The Ra-Cailum sped toward the relay, then was caught in the ME field and was sent rocketing toward the next relay.

* * *

_**Ilos**_

* * *

The two vehicles had made it to the Conduit. There were a lot of Geth between them and it, though.

"We need to hurry," Linda informed. "Any ideas to get through them?"

"Just one," Shepard replied. "FLOOR IT!"

On the titanoboa, everyone put on helmets and secured themselves. Wrex, meanwhile, simply crouched after making himself airtight. "What are you doing?!" Linda yelled.

"No one's ever been sent through a relay exposed to space!" he shouted back. "I'm going to be the first Krogan to do it!"

Linda accidentally turned on the audio player, and a rather… catchy tune started playing.

Deeming it appropriate, Shepard yelled, "CHARGE!" and floored the accelerator.

The two vehicles charged ahead at full speed, ignoring the geth firing at them as they sped at the Conduit, the relay launching first one, then the other, straight at the Citadel node.

* * *

_**Citadel**_

* * *

The defense fleet waited for whatever tried to come through and invade, but they were not expecting a massive Geth fleet, led by Sovereign. Leading the fleet by virtue of firepower was the _Raging Tempest_, which was ready to engage the enemy fleet. Takeshi knew one thing, though: Sovereign was Ron's prey. He could piss it off, but Ron would kill him if he destroyed Sovereign.

"Alright, people, let's take them down!" Takeshi called out as he brought his ship into the fray, wasting Geth ships with heavy firepower, speeding the ship along a line of Geth Cruisers and decimating them with the Pulse Cannons before he banked to port and chose another target.

This, however, drew him away from the Citadel, and the Destiny Ascension as Sovereign rushed past, followed by the arms closing. "Captain!" Kim called out.

"Damn it!" Takeshi swore.

The arms closed, and a large chunk of the fleet was trapped inside.

"We can't get through," Rina remarked. "There's no way we can-"

"That thing's not a Dyson Sphere!" Takeshi reminded. "Photon torpedoes, maximum yield! We'll blast our way through!"

Tholra nodded. "One volley queued up and waiting, sir," he said.

Takeshi nodded, then lined up on the tip of the Citadel - the parts that retracted into the arms when it opened, meaning there wasn't any chance of damaging residential facilities - and pulled the trigger, letting loose a volley of four torpedoes.

The 500 meter thick titanium didn't stand a chance against the matter/antimatter explosions, and buckled with ease as the _Tempest_ entered the hole, a large piece of debris pinging off the shields in the process. Their main target was the Geth fleet, but distracting Sovereign and dragging it out of the station was a top priority. Takeshi fired the pulse cannons at the Reaper, getting its' attention.

"Captain, I think it's pissed!" Kim said, as Sovereign oriented on them.

Takeshi snap-rolled to starboard, dodging a shot from the Reaper's main gun, and fired another burst at Sovereign before launching a torpedo and totalling a Geth Cruiser.

The Starfleet ship was clearly a major target as every thing dropped what they were doing and opened fire on the Tempest, making the shields glow with each hit.

"_Hey, asshole!_"

Two phaser beams hit the Reaper in the back, getting its' attention as it spun. Facing it was the recently arrived _Ra-Cailum_.

"_Round two, fuckface, and I'm fully powered,_" Ron informed. "This is your first, last and only chance to surrender. Stand down, or I will not be responsible for what happens."

"_**YOU CANNOT STOP US,**_" Sovereign replied, and everyone heard it. "_**EVEN IF YOU DESTROY ME, AND STOP US FROM USING THE CITADEL, THE REST OF MY KIND **_**WILL** _**COME. THE CYCLE CANNOT BE BROKEN.**_"

"_Shouldn't've responded, Sovereign,_" Ron replied. "_Now the galaxy knows you for what you are. As for you, well… to quote my former people…_" The _Ra-Cailum_ closed on the Reaper and engaged a tractor beam, towing it out of the station. "_RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!_" The Reaper attempted to escape by reducing its' mass, but that only made matters worse as the Ra-Cailum literally dragged the Reaper out of the station.

The Geth charged out of the Citadel, ready to defend their 'god', but something else emerged from the Serpent Nebula Relay.

Something much bigger than Sovereign, though not quite as big as the Citadel itself.

A Borg Cube.

Not just any Cube, though. This was the Tactical Cube that had essentially started this.

The tactical cube brought back bad memories, but they were here for Saren and nothing else. Still, they sent out the customary hail, mostly pointed at Saren. "_We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile._"

This was heard by every ship in the area.

For the Asari, it signaled the abrupt end of the Council races being the major power in the galaxy.

For the turians, this was the greatest threat in history, bar none.

For the Geth, or rather the Geth Heretics, it was just another enemy, albeit a VERY powerful one.

For Takeshi, it was one of the Federation's greatest threats - not as great as the Undine or their Iconian Puppetmasters, but still up there.

For Ron, it was an eternal reminder of what he had once been.

For Saren… it was his doom.

* * *

_**Citadel**_

* * *

The Mako and Titanoboas launched out of the Conduit, flattening nearby Geth. The Titanoboa landed upright, Wrex vaporizing more Geth with its cannon, but the Mako rolled a few times, landing on its roof.

Hitomi groaned as she got out of the Mako, needing to crawl out of the access hatch and onto the ground, and from there out from under it. "Well, this is certainly the most intense beating the Mako's ever gotten," she remarked.

Shepard pouted slightly at the Titanoboa being completely unharmed. "Oh, COME ON! What the hell is it going to take to damage that thing?!"

"Tritanium's almost impossible to damage without antimatter or energy weapons," Linda informed. "Perfect for ground vehicles."

"Yeah," Hitomi remarked. "Speaking of vehicles, we can't take it with us."

"Not… exactly," Linda replied.

"Oh?"

* * *

_**Citadel tower**_

* * *

An elevator went upwards, tracked by several Geth, who were destroyed… By Shepard and her new car running over them. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this thing had magnetized tires?!" she asked.

"Who cares?!" Wrex yelled. "This is FUCKING AWESOME!"

"Certainly is!" Hitomi replied. "We're making good time, too - just need to get up to the level of the Council Chambers, and we're at the control center! What do you want to bet that the Borg Queen is here herself, to personally deal with Saren?"

The speakers replied with a simple, if chilling, message. "_We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile._"

"…That answers that," Linda remarked. "Must be trying to intimidate Saren into surrendering. The Borg, even here, are a LOT more powerful than the Reapers."

"Agreed," Shepard replied. "Definitely hopeful we can at least set up treaties with the Federation once you get back in touch with your home dimension. Might be our best shot against the Borg."

"Not to mention the Reapers."

* * *

_**Council chambers**_

* * *

Saren had heard the message, alright, and he was busy trying to unhear it. "No," he yelled. "Not when I'm this close!"

The sound of music caught his attention.

"Wait," he asked. "What the hell is that music?!"

The source was the titanoboa, which was now crashing through the windows, still playing its' catchy tune that Saren, for the life of him, couldn't identify.

"Knock, Knock, Bastard!" Shepard yelled out as the Titanoboa knocked Saren away from the control systems that had been forming, and flattened several Geth. "We're not letting you bring back the Reapers!"

'Ooooh...look at all the pretty birdies.' Saren shook his head to clear his vision as he had many, MANY guns pointed in his general direction.

"You know," Wrex remarked, "if I didn't think that you'd suffer a worse fate then death, I'd shoot you for what you did to my people: cloning them, promises of revenge against the Council."

"A fate worse than death?" Saren asked.

"He's referring to me, Saren."

The Borg Queen beamed down right in front of him, as two drones beamed in on each side and restrained him.

"What?!" Saren asked, incredulously, as he vainly tried to free himself. "NO!"

"Saren Arterius," the Queen said, silencing him. "You have been a source of annoyance for the Collective. You stole one of my drones and used it to attempt to create a Collective of your own. It is unfortunate that you did not know that all borg call for the Collective. If you wished to be one with us…" Two tubules extended from her knuckles and struck the Turian in the neck, infesting his body with Borg nanoprobes. "You could have simply entered our space."

Saren tried to fight, but the Nanoprobes quickly overwhelmed him, even severing his connection to Sovereign. He was then beamed back to the Tactical Cube.

"His distinctiveness has been added to our own," the Queen said after a moment.

"You got what you wanted," Shepard prompted.

"Yes, we will return to our space," the Queen replied. "It will be some time before you see us again. But you WILL see us again."

"We'll be waiting," Hitomi informed. "And we will be ready."

"We shall see…" the Queen informed, before she beamed back to her Tactical Cube, which then fled the system.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

"It is wrong to enjoy doing this, but I really do not care." Ron had taken a page out of the Borg's rulebook and was cutting the Reaper apart, very, VERY slowly: a section of plating there, a tendril here.

The ship rocked from another beam impacting the shields.

"Shields at 84%," Corpsa reported.

"I think we've done enough," Ron informed. "Come around, release the tractor beam… and load quantum torpedoes."

The _Ra-Cailum_ released the Reaper before spinning around and firing five quantum torpedoes into the Reaper.

The torpedoes slammed deep into Sovereign's hull, the last one impacting its Mass Effect Core, and the Reaper let loose a loud death screech as it exploded spectacularly.

"Hope you recorded that, Corpsa," Ron said. "Photon torpedoes. Destroy every piece of debris. We can't afford to have anyone getting brainwashed by that thing."

"Understood, sir," Corpsa replied, as she launched Photon Torpedoes at the debris. Minutes later, there was nothing left from Sovereign.

Minutes after the cube arrived, the Alliance Fifth Fleet followed suit, putting potshots into the reaper before firing at the Geth, putting more cover fire onto the Destiny Ascension. "Destiny Ascension _to _Ra-Cailum," the _Ascension_'s Asari Captain said. "_Thank you, Captain. Without your help, we would have suffered more damage, as would the Alliance fleet._"

"Just doing our job," Ron replied. "We'll be heading back to Ilium in a few hours. I hope you have luck rebuilding the Citadel."

"_We will,_" the _Ascension_'s Captain said. "_Due to their assistance, the Council is going to grant the Alliance a seat. If you like, we can request a seat for the Federation._"

"No," Ron replied. "We're good. Thank you, Ascension."

* * *

_**Citadel**_

* * *

"Thank you again for your efforts, Commander," Tevos said to Shepard. The rest of the Council, Hitomi, Anderson, Udina, and the _Raging Tempest_'s Command Staff were also present. "Your efforts saved us all from a threat greater than we had originally imagined it would be."

"However, your choice to give Saren to the Borg is… questionable," Sparatus informed.

"They threatened Earth and Palaven to get the bastard," Shepard replied. "Why not give him a fate worse than death while we're at it?"

"Yes, that does seem fitting," Valern remarked. "He joined Sovereign likely in an attempt to save himself, and instead is now lost among the many drones of the Collective."

"Regardless, due to your efforts, and the support of the Alliance Fleet, we believe Humanity is ready for a seat on the Council," Tevos informed. "Your opinion on the choice we make would be greatly appreciated."

"With all due respect, we're going to need someone who can cut through the political bullshit and get things done," Shepard remarked. "The best man for the job is Captain Anderson."

Anderson looked surprised at that. "Me?" he asked.

"You're the best man for the job," Shepard said. "Udina over here would just make matters a lot more complicated. No offence."

"None taken," Udina replied.

"Congratulations, Captain," Tevos informed.

"Now we need to do something important," Anderson said. "Captain Yamato, I would like to ask if the Alliance can assist in the construction of the gateway. Even if it's just one man banging a wrench on something..."

"I'll forward the request to Captain Pinkerton," Takeshi replied. "It's his baby."

"Thank you, Captain," Anderson said. "That means a lot."

"And as for the Reapers?" Sparatus asked.

"Sovereign was just the vanguard, Councilor Sparatus," Shepard informed. "They're coming. They're just going to be facing a lot more than us." As she said that, the flag of the United Federation of Planets was hung outside one of the new embassies that had been rebuilt. "The Federation is going to be their worst nightmare. Sovereign was blown apart by one ship. And Captain Pinkerton was holding back."

* * *

Illium

* * *

The gateway was online after a week of work and a lot of around the clock construction. "_All power sources active,_" Sonja informed. "_All systems ready._"

"_Ra-Cailum_ to shuttle _Osiris_," Ron said. "Ready?"

"_Ready when you are,_" the pilot of the _Delta_-Class Shuttle, inspired by _Voyager_'s _Delta Flyer_, replied.

"Sonja, your gate. Your honors," Ron informed.

"_Aye, sir,_" Sonya replied. "_Activation sequence online. Once we're sure the _Osiris _survived the first ten seconds, the _Ra-Cailum _will follow suit._"

"And in about four or five days, maybe sooner, you'll be seeing us come right back through."

"_Hopefully with reinforcements,_" Sonja replied. "_OK, all Systems online… now to begin scanning for the destination._" On all appropriate monitors, including the _Ra-Cailum_'s Viewscreen, an image of seven blue circles overlaid the image. "_Needs seven dimensional reference points to work - it's finding them now._"

The first circle glowed brighter.

"_Chevron one encoded,_" remarked another of the Engineers.

"This should drop us somewhere near Bajor, right?" Ron asked. "I'd like to be in Federation space instead of Dominion."

"_This will drop us in Bajoran space, boss. I did a lot of calculations to get this right,_" Sonja informed.

"_Chevron two encoded,_" the Engineer reported.

The second circle lit up.

"Modifying another gateway should be easier to do, right?" Ron asked.

"_Probably,_" Sonja replied. "_I had to replace a few components for this modified model._"

"_Chevron three encoded._"

The third circle lit up.

"Message coming in from the _Raging Tempest,_" Corpsa informed. "He says good luck, and to contact Federation Councilwoman Ryoko Hibiki if we need any help on the political side."

"_Chevron four encoded._"

The fourth circle lit up.

"Captain, we're being hailed," Corpsa reported again.

"By who?" Ron asked.

At that moment, the _Destiny Ascension_ dropped out of FTL, entering formation with the Ra-Cailum.

"The Destiny Ascension," Corpsa replied. "She wants to come with us."

Ron chuckled. "Hell of a surprise," he said. "Tell them… that the United Federation of Planets will welcome them with open arms."

"In short, yes," Corpsa inferred. "Sending message."

"_Chevron five encoded._"

The fifth circle lit up.

"Looking forward to seeing the universe you came from, Ron," Wrex said from beside the Captain's Chair. He, and the entirety of Clan Urdnot, had decided to come along, and had been accepted by the crew.

"You guys will LOVE the Klingons," Ron said. "Warriors all, great sense of honor. They don't have your space issues on starships and they didn't nuke themselves into a nuclear winter. No offense."

"None taken," Wrex replied. "They fucked up. We won't."

"_Chevron six encoded._"

The sixth circle lit up.

"Here we go," Riza remarked from the helm.

"_Chevron Seven Locked!_" the Engineer reported as the seventh circle lit up, then all seven glowed white. "_Activating gate!_"

The gate lit up, and the typical transwarp tunnel was blue rather than an off white.

"_Osiris_, you're clear for entry," Ron informed.

"_Copy, _Ra-Cailum," the pilot reported. "_See you on the other side._"

The _Delta_-Class shuttle flew in, disappearing into the tunnel.

"I've still got it on sensors, Captain," T'Var informed. "It appears the tunnel is safe."

"Agreed," Ron replied. "_Destiny Ascension_, follow us in."

The Starfleet ship entered the gate, followed closely by the Asari ship.

* * *

_**Bajoran space**_

* * *

The _Armitage_-Class USS _Escalvantine_ was in orbit of Bajor, undergoing a minor training exercise for its' fighter squadrons when they detected a transwarp signature that seemed rather off. As the only combat-ready starship, they were sent to investigate.

On the Bridge, the Captain of the ship, a rather tall, broad man with blue hair and green eyes, looked behind him, where an Admiral was standing next to a Tactical Display Monitor. "Admiral, what do you think this is?" he asked.

Admiral Lelouch Lamperouge, Commanding Officer of the 627th 'Black Knights' Tactical Fighter Squadron, frowned, his violet eyes narrowing as he ran a hand through his short black hair. "I don't know, Jeremiah," he replied. "It doesn't seem like a Borg Conduit… what do you think, CC?"

"The transwarp signature appears to be United Federation of Planets in origin, but it is not connected to the transwarp network proper," his AI, taking the form of a green-haired woman with golden eyes, responded. "I am detecting an energy spike. There appears to be a ship coming through."

The conduit briefly flashed, depositing a ship. A ship they knew.

"That's a _Delta_-Class Shuttle," the Sensor Officer remarked. "What's it doing here?"

"Better question is how it created that transwarp conduit," Captain Jeremiah Gottwald informed. "They don't have enough power to create one of this magnitude."

"We're being hailed by the shuttle," the Operations/Comm Officer reported. "IFF reads it as USS _Ra-Cailum_ shuttle 21 _Osiris_."

"That's the ship that went missing with the _Raging Tempest_ over a month ago," Lelouch remarked, having read the report on that. "Put it through."

The Osiris fired her impulse engines, trying to get as far away from the conduit as possible. "Osiris _to _Escalvantine," the shuttle's pilot called out. "_I'd get moving if I were you! Back off by at least two kilometers!_"

"Excuse me-" Jeremiah began.

"_Do it!_" the pilot yelled. "_They're coming!_"

"Do as he says," Lelouch ordered, his instincts flaring at him.

"Yes, sir," Jeremiah replied. "Helm, move us two kilometers away from the gate, as fast as possible!"

The Escalvantine turned away and began moving away from the entry point, as a ship came through seconds after the escort carrier was away: the _Sovereign_-Class USS Ra-Cailum, which began following suit.

"But… where were they?" Jeremiah asked. "We searched the entire area. The search ships didn't find a trace of the _Ra-Cailum_ or the _Raging Tempest_."

"_I am detecting lifeforms aboard the _Ra-Cailum _which I am unable to identify,_" CC reported. "_Their Quantum Signatures are off, too - I believe it likely that the _Ra-Cailum _and _Raging Tempest _got transported to another universe._"

A ship larger than the Ra-Cailum appeared from the conduit mere seconds after she was finished speaking. "All hands, red alert!" Jeremiah ordered. "Battle stations!"

"We are being hailed by the Ra-Cailum," the Ops/Officer reported. "Captain Pinkerton has detected that we are powering our weapons and raising our shields, it seems."

Lelouch looked thoughtful as the _Osiris_ turned to go back to her mothership for landing. "On screen," he said.

The face of Ronald Pinkerton appeared on the viewscreen. "_Admiral Lamperouge, stand down your weapons,_" he said. "_The _Destiny Ascension _is non-hostile._"

"_Destiny Ascension_?" Lelouch asked. "An interesting name… allies you made wherever you went, I assume?"

"_I'll send you our reports,_" Ron replied, "_but we need to get a transwarp conduit modified for access to the other universe. The reports will explain everything._"

"Understood," Lelouch replied. "Captain?"

Jeremiah nodded. "Stand down Red Alert," he ordered. "Prepare to escort the _Ra-Cailum_ to Earth."

"We'll likely need to talk to the Federation Council, or at the very least Admiral Quinn, before we can get the necessary modifications to the Transwarp Gate started," Lelouch informed. "Also, I'm assuming the _Raging Tempest_ has temporarily remained behind wherever you went?"

"_As official ambassadors to the Federation over there, sir,_" Ron replied. "_We'll need to use the transwarp conduits to get to Earth: the Ascension's not equipped with warp drive. It's a LONG story, sir. All in the report._"

"I assume you have a complete report?" Lelouch asked, as they began moving towards the nearest conduit.

"_Not entirely, sir,_" Ron informed. "_Directive Zero. _Ra-Cailum _out._" The captain's image disappeared from the screen, replaced with the _Ra-Cailum_ and the sunfish-like _Destiny Ascension_.

'_Directive Zero… so he ran into something regarding Omega over there…_' Lelouch thought. '_Well, this'll definitely be interesting. And here I thought we were running out of challenging opponents, what with the Klingons at peace with us again._'

"Helm, take us into formation with the _Destiny Ascension_ and _Ra-Cailum_," Lelouch ordered. "We'll escort them to the transwarp gate. I'll be in my ready room looking over the captain's reports. Jeremiah, you have the bridge." "Aye sir."

* * *

_**ARS**_ **Destiny Ascension**

* * *

Tevos was unnerved, antsy, and anything but calm. She wasn't in her universe anymore and they had been in this… transwarp conduit for almost an hour: who could blame her? Half the crew were the same way.

"Relax, Councilor."

The Asari froze before spinning around to see Flay, reading a book as usual, behind her in a corner.

"Starfleet deals with this shit all the time," Flay informed. "Better get to the bridge, though: we're almost at Earth."

Tevos got up and ran from the room, heading for the bridge. As soon as she got there, she attempted calming herself.

"We're almost at Earth," reported one of the crew members. "We're dropping out of transwarp now."

The area around Earth was pretty hectic, starships coming and going at a fairly fast pace. Most of them were Starfleet ships, though she did spot a few Romulan Warbirds, and even a Klingon ship or two.

The most prominent ship she saw was entering Earth Spacedock itself. She recognized it from her time Melded with Ron: The _Odyssey_-Class _Enterprise_-F.

That was their version of the _Destiny Ascension_, only with a LOT more teeth. And it wasn't even a warship proper.

'_Perhaps one day, we'll be able to have a ship like that instead of having to use pure warships,_' Tevos thought.

"_Earth Spacedock to _Ra-Cailum _and _Destiny Ascension," came the voice of Traffic Control. "_You are clear to dock. _Ascension_, you'll need to enter a parking orbit: your ship is far too large to enter the space doors._"

"Understood, Spacedock," the _Ascension_'s Captain replied. "We'll send our delegation over in a shuttle once we've parked."

Tevos let out a breath she didn't know she was holding before she turned to leave the bridge, heading for the hanger bay. "Captain Pinkerton will be meeting me on the station to meet with Admiral Quinn before I speak with the Federation council," she said. "Don't give the Romulan or Klingon ships any reason to try and board the ship."

"Yes, Councilor," the captain replied. "Should we allow our crew to board the station in the meantime: take advantage of the shore facilities?"

"Not a bad idea," Tevos remarked. "Authorize it."

* * *

_**J. Edgar Hoover Building, Washington, D.C., Earth**_

* * *

The United States of America's Federal Bureau of Investigation general headquarters building had been in use for centuries, first by UESPA Intelligence, then by Starfleet Operations. The Operations center was the perfect place to hide a Section 31 base, and as such, Flay Allster, now wearing a proper ochre turtleneck under her 2373 uniform, was not a strange sight. "Lieutenant," said the secretary as she approached.

"Wallace," Flay replied. "I'm going to need access to the sub-basement."

The elderly officer, who'd been around since the days of the Enterprise-C, simply nodded. "You know the way," he said.

"Thank you," she replied. After a few minutes of walking down a flight of stairs, she tapped her commbadge and beamed into the base under the building itself. She had a meeting with her boss.

"Enter," said a male voice when she rang the chime on the boss' door.

Flay stepped into the office, where an old, yet still fit, man sat at the desk. He had grey eyes that matched the color of his hair, which extended down into a fairly well-trimmed beard. He was wearing the standard Admiral's Uniform currently in use, an 'Odyssey' type with the Long Jacket, all black aside from the trim and division color, and what was called the 'Jupiter Veteran' Belt. The main difference was, instead of one of the normal division colors, his stripe and undershirt were pitch black, like the rest of the uniform.

"Welcome back, Allster," he said. "I will admit, I was worried when the _Ra-Cailum_ lost contact - you're one of my best agents."

"I've been busy, sir. My report," she said as she handed him a PADD containing her report, which needed a S31 decoding system to properly read, otherwise it was just a history report on first contact with the Organians.

He accepted the PADD, placing an isolinear chip containing the decoder into one of the slots. The report changed to its' real content, and Gil Graham's eyes widened. "You gave them the specifications for the _Phoenix_'s warp drive?" he asked. "Gutsy, Allster."

"The Borg are over there, sir," Flay replied. "They've practically assimilated another species, and the other major races are scared shitless. And it's a way of expanding our sphere of influence in that universe before the rest of the Alpha Quadrant powers do. The Asari and the Salarians will make wonderful additions to the Federation."

"I see… the diplomats and the scientists, according to your report," Graham replied. "Well, good work. We'll need all the help we can get against the Borg, the Undine, the Voth, the Iconians… and any other races we might find when we venture into the Delta Quadrant."

"The best part is that none of our people are going to get in trouble," Flay informed. "Captain Pinkerton has been a great help, albeit unknowingly. I would hate to see him suffer a general court martial."

"Agreed," Graham remarked. "The Ra-Cailum is one of the few deep space repair and resupply ships that hasn't sacrificed any of its' offensive, defensive or scientific capabilities. And Pinkerton is the perfect man to command her. What about the Raging Tempest?"

"Left behind to serve as 'Federation ambassadors' until the _Ra-Cailum_ came back," Flay informed.

"Then we need to speed things up: make the transwarp gate as fast as possible," Graham decided. "I'll have my best political people talk to the President. Consider yourself the new head of operations in the other universe, Allster."

"Thank you very much, sir," Flay replied. "First thing I think I'll do when I get back there is offer the same deal I gave the Asari and Salarians to the Systems Alliance - join the two branches of humanity together as one."

"Then return to the Ra-Cailum," Graham said. "You'll have more support in a few days once we have the specifications to the trans-universal gate, so we can set up a proper, unrestricted supply line to the new base." Graham placed the PADD on the desk. "Your first duty is to find a place that no one will find and make your base of operations there."

Flay nodded. "Yes, sir," she replied.

"Dismissed, Commander."

* * *

_**San Francisco, Earth - the Federation Council chamber**_

* * *

Ron and Tevos stood before the Federation Council, which had been assembled rather quickly in response to a message from Admiral Quinn.

"Relax," Ron told Tevos. "This council's just a much bigger version of yours, plus a president."

President Okeg stood at the podium, flanked on both sides by the entire Federation Council. "Captain Pinkerton," Okeg said. "And I presume councilor Tevos, the…" He checked the PADD supplied to him. "Asari Republics representative of the Citadel Alliance Council."

"You assume correctly, Mr. President," Tevos replied.

The Saurian placed the PADD down. "Captain, describe the series of events that led to this, for the record."

Ron nodded. "Yes, Mr. President," he said. "On Stardate 87014.1, the _Ra-Cailum_ responded to a call for assistance from the USS _Raging Tempest_, one of our _Sao Paulo_-Class Tactical Escort Vessels, who was engaging a small Borg fleet in the Defera Sector."

"That much is known, Captain," Okeg said. "Continue."

Ron took in a breath. "As the engagement began to wind down, we used a Tyken's rift to attempt to drain the tactical cube of power," he said. "It... backfired, as the cube overloaded it greatly and opened a rift in space/time, sending us across the galaxy and into another universe. Once we arrived, we were sighted by a ship identifying itself as the SSV _Normandy_, a human ship belonging to the Systems Alliance. They requested our identity and, afterward, our assistance in defending the colony world of Eden Prime, which we were now orbiting. Per regulations, I responded."

"Do you know why the colony was being attacked?" asked one of the Council Members, a woman who looked similar to Takeshi, only her hair fell to her mid-back.

"The colony was under attack by a rogue agent of the Citadel Council named Saren Arterius, who led a small army of Geth - artificial lifeforms - in an attempt to gain access to an artifact discovered on the planet itself. While Commander Yamato led a party down to the surface to save who she could, I engaged the Geth ships."

One of the Andorian councilors leaned forward. "What were their offensive capabilities?" he asked.

"Sir, with all due respect, an Andorian Kumari-class ship would have no trouble with them. Especially one from the 22nd Century. They stood no chance against the Ra-cailum, even if we didn't have main power."

"Weak as a baby seal from your world," the Andorian inferred.

"More or less," Ron said. "After two or three minutes, a larger ship with superior defenses arrived and opened fire on the Ra-Cailum. I responded in kind, causing heavy damage. I would later learn this ship was not a ship, but a sentient, ancient AI known as a Reaper. It called itself Sovereign. Much to my amusement."

The Vulcan representative was tempted to roll his eyes. He didn't. "A machine named Sovereign fighting a _Sovereign_-Class starship," he said. "I would be forced to agree."

"Captain, what else has happened on the other side?" the female Councilor who looked like Takeshi asked. "The _Raging Tempest_, the state of the galaxy on that side?"

"The _Tempest_ is fine," Ron said. "The galaxy is fucked, though, and for good reason."

"I can likely guess," the Andorian representative replied. "The Borg were sent there, too, weren't they?"

"Yes, Councilor," Ron informed. "The tactical cube was sent into Batarian space, who began to assimilate the Batarians. Their ability to resist was… well, you know the line. Either way, that's only one of the problems. Problem number two is the Reapers. Sovereign wasn't the last of its' breed. his buddies are coming. Commander Shepard of the SSV _Normandy_, with our assistance, managed to delay them, but they ARE coming, Mr. President."

Okeg nodded. "And if they succeed in their goals there, their next target would likely be us…" he mused.

"Yes, sir," Ron replied. "Even if the Reapers are no match for even a Constitution or Miranda-class ship from the 23rd Century, they have a great deal of numbers. And there's something else. The Asari developed warp drive."

Almost everyone looked at Tevos. "The humans of our universe had started experiments with subspace travel," she informed, following the tale she'd managed to hammer out with Allster using both facts and fiction, "But as with most races in the galaxy, when they discovered Mass Effect-based FTL and the Mass Relays, their project was abandoned. Four to five months ago, some of our scientists got curious about the idea, given that it would be faster than our normal FTL and more flexible than the relays, and so they began their own research - using the aborted research from the humans as a starting point. Our first successful test was two weeks ago - and the _Ra-Cailum_ was in the area at the right time to witness it."

Okeg and the Council all looked at ron, asking him to confirm it. "She's telling the truth, sir. And we did not give them any information from our computers sans some of our historical files, mostly involving the Battle of the Mutara Nebula, the Battle of Wolf 359, and the barest of information on the Dominion War and the Starfleet ship recognition chart. They did not get a scrap of technological data on anything they didn't already have at the time of our arrival."

"And we have very, very little that you have, Mr. President," Tevos informed.

Okeg looked at Ron directly. "Captain, you are dismissed. No charges will be filed against you at this time, pending a full review of your reports. Councilor Tevos, please remain."

Ron nodded as he turned to leave.

"And Captain?"

"Mr. President?"

"You may begin modifications to one of the transwarp gates," Okeg said.

"Thank you, Mr. President."

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

"Only a few days since getting stationed as ambassadors and already I'm getting bored," Takeshi remarked to Linda as the two lay in bed together. "And even going out on a patrol to shoot something doesn't help - aside from the Borg, no one in this universe really has a chance against us."

"Maybe we should lower our shields and give them a chance next time," Linda replied.

Before Takeshi could retort that she was right, alarms started blaring.

"_Captain to the bridge,_" Brok'tan reported. "_We have a situation up here, sir._"

"On my way up," Takeshi replied as he got up from the bed and quickly dressed in his uniform. "Well, might as well see what's going on."

"Agreed," Linda replied as she got dressed as well. "After you, Takeshi."

Takeshi gave his wife a quick kiss, and they headed for the Bridge.

The couple arrived only a few minutes later, and the helmsman surrendered the seat to Takeshi. "Report," he ordered.

"A large fleet of ships entered the system only five minutes ago," Kim informed. "According to sensors, all of them are Batarian, but there are no Borg signatures on any of them."

"Likely survivors from the Borg attacks," Takeshi remarked. "Rina, open a channel."

"Channel open, sir," Rina reported as the face of a Batarian, dirty and covered in grime, appeared on the screen.

"This is Ka'hairal Balak of… what is left of the Batarian Hegemony," the Batarian said. "Which Starfleet ship am I addressing?"

"I am Takeshi Yamato, of the Federation Starship _Raging Tempest_," Takeshi replied.

"Good," Ka'hairal said. "I demand access to this gateway."

Takeshi blinked. "Look, I understand your people are likely needing a new home," he said. "But you have no right to demand anything of us. Besides, the gateway is to remain inactive until Captain Pinkerton gets back. His orders."

"Do you realize what is happening, Captain?!" Ka'hairal asked. "I have 21 million people in these ships! 21 million out of 60 billion! We cannot stay here! I demand access to your universe, so we can escape the Borg!"

Takeshi was going to need to compromise. "I'll send a message via a probe," he said. "Try to go through, and the outpost will fire on you. It might be half powered, but it can still destroy you."

"That… is agreeable," Ka'hairal informed. "For now."

The transmission ended, returning the sight of the massive Batarian fleet.

"Kim, Rina, ready a probe with a message, detailing the situation," Takeshi ordered. "Rina, I also want you to contact the outpost, so they can open the gate."

"Aye sir," Rina reported. "Configuring Class-3 probe for launch. Outpost _Yucatan_, this is the Raging Tempest-"

"_Yeah, yeah, we heard,_" Sonja informed. "_Activating the gateway now._"

The gate activated much faster than before, as the target coordinates were already locked in.

"Launch the probe," Takeshi ordered.

The aft launcher shot the probe through seconds later, along with the important message.

* * *

_**Earth Spacedock**_

* * *

Ron hated diplomats. his counterparts from the Romulan Republic and Klingon Empire agreed with him as they sat near the ambassadors of their respective powers talking about the ramifications of this.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't need to get involved," Ron said.

Commander Saren of the _Aves_-Class Dyson warbird RRW _T'Vala_ nodded in agreement with his Federation counterpart. "Unfortunately, we got involved when they asked us to be here," he replied.

Captain Guinlong, son of Tar'bak, commanding officer of the _Vor'cha_-Class IKS _R'Taka_, simply drank some of the bloodwine in his flask, offering it to both men. A strange peace offering, but it worked.

"Captain Pinkerton?" an ensign asked as he ran in with a PADD. "Message for you, sir."

Ron picked up the PADD, which read:

'_Captain Pinkerton,_

_The Batarian forces not assimilated by the Borg have gathered near the gate._

_Their leader, a Ka'Hairal Balak, is demanding access to the gateway in order for his people to escape the Borg._

_Finish the gateway as fast as possible, so you can deliver a response._

_-USS _Raging Tempest'

"Oh, fuck." The ambassadors all looked at Ron. "Captain?"

"The Batarians are demanding to come through the gate to come here, trying to escape the Borg in their universe." Ron lowered the PADD and looked at the ambassadors. "Problem is, we're a bit overwhelmed caring for refugees thanks to a certain Empire begin forced to declare war on us..."

"Do not blame US for this, Captain," The Klingon Ambassador began.

"Wasn't," Ron replied. "I'm blaming the Iconians and the Undine for making you do it. Doesn't change the fact that the Klingon Empire is responsible, directly or indirectly, for displacing a LOT of people. We can't take care of them right now."

The ambassador burned with two things: rage and shame. Rage for being indirectly insulted. Shame because the former drone had a point: the Klingons DID displace a great deal of Federation civilians.

The Klingon captain gave the ambassador a solution. "We will take them into the Empire! Honor demands it!"

"That is an honorable solution," the Klingon Ambassador agreed. "If we had the specifications to the modifications you are making to your gate, we could do the same with one of ours, and allow the Batarians into our Empire."

Sugihara glanced at Ron, his gaze telling him to do this. The peace between the Federation and the Empire was uneasy at best, and this would go a long way to making them much better.

"I'll send the specs to the _R'Taka_," Ron said. "We might need to set up another gateway in the other universe: we might be at peace, but I think some members of the KDF still have itchy fingers on their triggers. And the Romulan Republic's going to want a gateway as well."

"You read my mind, captain," Saren informed.

"Ok, then," Ron replied. "Five gates on this end: one at Bajor, one at Drozana Station, and the rest at our respective capital worlds."

"That sounds feasible," the Klingon Ambassador remarked.

"Then I'll inform the President. He might actually like this arrangement."

Sugihara left the room, and the two other ambassadors sighed in relief. "I thought he would NEVER leave!" the Klingon Ambassador said.

"Or shut up," his Romulan Counterpart agreed. "He NEVER stops talking!"

Ron sighed before trying to leave.

"Captain."

He looked at his Romulan and Klingon counterparts.

"We will join you when you go back to the other universe," Guinlong said. "This will be a glorious journey!"

"Or a painful one," Saren countered.

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest** _**- 59 hours later**_

* * *

"Picking up signals from the gate, Captain," Kim reported. "Looks like it's opening, but not by activation from _Yucatan_. I think Ron got the other side's gate operational."

"That's good," Takeshi replied. "Looking forward to seeing who all he brings with him, not to mention this'll establish more stable supply lines, so I don't need to ration the Quantum Torpedoes anymore."

"You just like torpedo spamming everything," Matt informed. "Enemy ship, torpedo spam. Enemy formation, LOTS of torpedo spamming!"

The gateway opened, spitting out the _Ra-Cailum_ and two unexpected escorts: a Romulan Republic _Aves_-Class Dyson Warbird and a Klingon _Vor'cha_-Class attack cruiser.

"Ok, I was hoping that just the _Ra-Cailum_ would come through," Takeshi remarked.

"Ra-Cailum _to _Raging Tempest," Ron said over the comms. "_Still sane, Take?_"

"Just mind-numbingly bored," Takeshi replied. "I'm looking forward to going back to our Universe for a bit - maybe head out to engage the Voth or Undine at the Solanae Dyson Sphere. Anyway, who are your friends?"

"_Commander Saren of the RRW _T'Vala _- he's Romulan, no relation to the Saren we fought here - and Captain Quinlong of the IKS _R'Taka," Ron informed. "_Pinkerton to Henderson: reset the gateway's coordinates for this location. Takeshi, clear out of the way: the Klingons have decided to take the Batarians in._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied, as he cleared a path. "By the way, how're Wrex and Clan Urdnot doing over there?"

"_Gleeful,_" Ron informed. "_I told them of the Voth and Undine, and Wrex asked me if they wanted any help kicking their asses. I… well, let's just say we're going to negotiate a treaty for their help instead of pulling what the Council did and MAKE them do it by force._"

"_Gateway reset,_" Sonja informed. "_Boss, are these coordinates set for Qo'nos?_"

"_Yes, they are,_" Ron informed. "_We'll have a few more ships on the way here to begin constructing gateways on four more planets in this galaxy: the Klingons and Romulans wanted a gate each._"

"Makes sense," Takeshi replied. "One at each of our respective homeworlds, one at Bajor, and where's the last one going to be in our universe?"

"_Drozana Station,_" Ron informed. "_It's neutral space, and it'll force the Ferengi jackasses in charge to actually repair the damn station to a better standard._"

"_Gateway activating,_" Sonja informed. "_Coordinates: Qo'nos. Batarian ships, you're clear to go through._"

The Batarians acknowledged her statement, and began moving towards the gate en masse, while still forming up in such a way that they would all fit.

"_Takeshi, we've got a load of quantum torpedoes for you, as well as more equipment for the station to make them,_" Ron informed. "_When the Batarians are through, you're clear to return to the Alpha Quadrant. As for me, I've been assigned here to assist with the gateway construction and for a _Lya_-Class station here._"

"Understood," Takeshi replied. "It'll be good to see our universe for a bit."

"_Good luck, Takeshi,_" Ron said. "Ra-Cailum _out._"

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy** _**- Illium orbit - 2 hours later**_

* * *

The Normandy approached the starbase, although now a much larger one was under construction nearby. "SSV _Normandy_ to Starbase Yucatan," Joker said. "Requesting permission to dock."

"_Permission granted, _Normandy," came the reply.

Joker guided the Normandy to a docking port, and Shepard gathered most of her team to the airlock.

"This is a hell of an assignment," Ashley remarked. "Go to a party."

"It's a diplomatic meeting," Hitomi informed. "The Alliance, the Turians, the Salarians and even the Quarians are here."

"I'm surprised," Kaidan remarked. "Ron was pissed about the _Scimitar_. He had every right to deny them access."

"Apparently, the Romulan Republic decided to let the Quarians have it," Shepard informed. "Apparently they sympathized with the Quarians, having lost their own original homeworld, and are wanting to help the Quarians reclaim _**their**_ homeworld."

The doors opened, and they entered the station, following a white line on the floor that took them to a set of doors.

"Time to enter the party," Kaidan informed.

The doors opened, and they were shocked to see mountains and a lake beyond a wood-built balcony. "What in the name of-"

"Ah, Shepard!" Ron said as he walked over, wearing his red 2279-era duty/dress uniform. "I was wondering if you were going to be late."

"What is this?" Shepard asked. "How can we be on a planet's surface on a station like this?"

"Holograms," Ron informed. "Highly advanced holograms. You guys have training programs that are similar, yes?"

"Yes, but… this fooled us!" Hitomi exclaimed.

"We can recreate any environment, so long as we have enough details," Ron explained. "Right now, we're on Betazed. Just be glad I didn't ask to use betazoid custom, otherwise you'd be naked."

Blushes were the order of the day.

"Come on," Ron continued. "The red bowls are for Turians and Quarians."

"_Captain, we're picking up a transmission through the gate,_" Sonja informed. "_It's from Earth._"

"Probably a treaty announcement. Pipe it through down here and put it on the viewscreen."

The image revealed Councilor Tevos, standing next to President Okeg. "You might be right about it being a treaty, Ron," Shepard remarked. "Though, I'm not quite sure…"

"_For a long time, the Asari have been diplomats, peacemakers and leaders,_" Tevos informed. "_We have been the most advanced race in our galaxy, capable of handling any threat with help from our allies. But that has changed._" Ron began drinking from a bottle of something blue. "Hmm. Good," he said.

"What is that?" Shepard asked.

"Romulan Ale," Ron replied. "Used to be illegal."

"_The greatest threats in our history are coming,_" Tevos continued. "_One has destroyed the Batarians, making them exiles. One… needed more than any of us could put forth to take out. As such, it is the decision of the Asari Republics…_"

Everyone sipped from their respective drink at this point.

"_To join the United Federation of Planets._"

Cue mass spitting fest.

"What the hell?!" Hitomi yelled. "Not just allying with the Federation, but actually _**JOINING**_ it?"

"The fuck?!" Shepard asked. "I thought they would just sign a defense treaty, not THIS!"

"They're warp-capable now," Ron said. "If they want to join, I don't think any of us can stop them if they want to." He drank more of his bottle of romulan ale. "I'll need to speak with Takeshi. This...changes a lot."

* * *

**Minos Wasteland, Arrae System - Gellix**

* * *

The Turians had decided to try developing warp drive by themselves, and as such, they had constructed a prototype onboard the dreadnought _Vespasianus_, which they had doubts about working.

"General Victus, this might kill us," the ship's Captain remarked.

Victus sighed, privately agreeing with the ship's captain. "And I believe you might be right, but we NEED to try," he said.

The Captain sighed. "Activate all warp drive systems!" he ordered. "Power transfer?"

"Go!"

"Gravity?"

"Go!"

"Inertial dampening?"

"Online and at 130%!"

"Then activate the warp drive," the Captain ordered.

The subspace bubble formed, and the ship began accelerating.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"I don't know! Checking!"

From outside, the ship appeared to stretch before the ship disappeared in a flash of Cherenkov radiation. The Turians were now warp capable.

"AAAHHH!" everyone on the Bridge yelled. "WHOOOOAAA!" The field only lasted two minutes, but it was enough. The ship dropped out of warp, and several Turians were going to need to going to need to change their pants later.

"It… it worked? On the first try?" Victus asked, still somewhat shocked.

"The chances of that are what? One in a hundred?" someone else asked.

"One in a billion!" someone else replied. "But it worked!"

Victus chuckled. "Take us back to Gellex. And take us to Illium as soon as possible! Helm, engage warp drive again!"

The _Vespasianus_ turned around, then engaged its' warp drive again, working perfectly this time, too.

* * *

_**Starbase **_**Yucatan**

* * *

"Wow…" Hitomi remarked, as she and Shepard sat in the quarters they'd been given during their stay on the Starbase. "Hard to believe the Asari actually decided to join the Federation directly…"

"It's a shock, alright. I thought they would just ask for a defense treaty, just like Ron. Now-"

"_Pinkerton to Shepard,_" Ron said over the comm. "_You'd better get up to the command center._"

Both Spectres got up and left their quarters, heading for a turbolift that would take them to the command center, which was only a few meters away. "CIC," Shepard said.

The doors closed and the lift took them to the command center, where Ron was hunched over a console, watching it intently. "Captain?" Hitomi asked.

"We're picking up a ship on sensors," Ron informed. "It just entered the system."

"Borg?" Shepard asked in worry.

"I don't know," Ron informed. "But it's approaching the station at warp speed."

"Contact is dropping out of warp!"

"Raise shields!" Ron ordered. "Red alert!"

The contact dropped out of warp… revealing a Turian Dreadnought. "The hell?!" Hitomi yelled. "Now the _**Turians**_ are warp-capable? Who's next? The Salarians? Us?"

"The Krogan?" Ron asked.

"We're being hailed by the dreadnought, Captain," the station's Comm Officer reported. "IFF IDs it as TSV _Vespasianus_."

"Rather Roman name, but they seem like a spaceborne version of the Empire," Ron remarked. "On screen."

The face of a Turian appeared on the monitors. "_This is General Adrien Victus, commander of the Turian warship _Vespasianus _to Starbase _Yucatan," the Turian said. "_Permission to dock, Captain?_"

"Granted, but how in the fuck did you develop warp drive?!" Ron asked. "Did you-"

"_We developed it ourselves,_" Victus informed. "_In fact, this was our third use of it: I wasn't expecting it to even work properly._"

Ron looked at the science station, who was scanning the ship. "Well?" he asked.

"The coils are VERY roughly constructed, and another four or five uses and they'll destroy the ship via uncontrolled subspace implosion," came the report.

"_Ah,_" Victus replied. "_Well, I guess we do have a bit more work to do before we can do mass-production, but for our first attempt, it definitely performed better than we were expecting._"

"Dock with the station and we'll perform repairs to your… warp drive," Ron said. "That's going to be VERY weird for a while."

"_Thanks for the assistance, Captain,_" Victus replied. "_Victus out._"

The channel closed, and Ron sighed. "Activate the gateway and send a message to Starfleet Command. They will probably hang me for this."

"We'll head back to the Normandy," Shepard informed. "The Council's sending us on patrols to mop up the Geth that managed to get away from the Citadel."

"And from Takeshi's guns." The pair left, and the acting commander of the station plopped his ass in the chair. "Argh."

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

"So, the Asari decided to actually join up with the Federation, rather than just sign a defense treaty," Takeshi remarked. "Well, it's surprising, but not much we can do either way."

"We just received another update from the Mass Effect universe via the gateway and the subspace comm network," Rina informed.

"Hmm?" Takeshi asked.

"It's what the eggheads back home are starting to call it, since mass effect technology comes from there," Rina replied. "According to this, the Turians just became warp-capable. Ron's on his way back to Starfleet Headquarters for an inquiry. Probably just a formality: he's hyper-paranoid over the Prime Directive, and he's sent a request to all ships going there to lock down their computers."

Takeshi laughed. "Something tells me there won't be anything wrong," he said. "I'd say one of two things happened - either they followed a similar path to the Asari, or they got spooked by our arrival, and decided to do the 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' option, somehow getting Warp Travel right on the first go."

* * *

_**Earth Spacedock**_

* * *

The inquiry was exactly as Takeshi predicted: short, sweet and involved no legal action being leveled against Ron. This was mostly because Ron limited access to their ships and computer systems. As such, he was allowed to return to the Mass Effect universe: a term Ron opposed, but made little effort to fight. They needed a name for it: why the hell not?

"Captain, seeing as you and Captain Yamato are the most experienced officers with experience in the… other universe, one of you will be assigned there full-time."

"Admiral, Takeshi is an adrenaline junkie. I suspect he only joined Starfleet to get his daily dose. Me… well, I'm not a junkie, but I'm no diplomat."

Admiral Nechayev looked at Ron. "Diplomat or not, you still have the most experience over there," she said. "If you're worried about any lack of diplomatic skills, we can always assign a full-term diplomat to your crew."

"I'll have to ask to be assigned to the exploratory branch and leave a member of the brass in charge of the starbase. I'm not accepting a promotion. Besides, with the Asari joining the Federation, my crew is going to be VERY busy." Ron had a major point there. he was going to be assisting in the construction of stations and shipyards throughout Asari space.

"That does sound reasonable," Nechayev said. "Still, we'll have you on tap as an 'advisor' - you still have the most experience with the races in that world, experience that whoever is placed in charge there might need."

"I'll keep that in mind, ma'am," Ron said. "I'll head back to the _Ra-Cailum_ after getting all the equipment we need."

Nechayev nodded as the former drone walked off, heading for the transporter room. Now she had to deal with the hard part. "ARGH!" Getting the Krogan to settle down long enough to hammer out an agreement with them.

* * *

**Meanwhile - Unknown World**

* * *

A sole Star system rested in the galaxy. It had a simple configuration, a bright yellow sun in its prime, seven planets, an asteroid belt, and a mixture of both Terrestrial and Gas Giant planets. The Asteroids acted almost as a divide between the Gas Giant worlds and the more terrestrial ones. Out of these planets, only three of them were Terrestrial, one was rather close to the sun but not nearly enough to where it would be nothing but a searing rock. The third planet was further away, which gave it a more cold arctic feel, but not far enough where life would be impossible.

However, it was the second planet from the Star that could easily be identified as the 'jewel' of the system. The planet seemed to be nearly entirely made of water, with only two major continents and multiple small islands spread out across the world. These said islands, from orbit, appeared to be rich in vegetation and life. But this was not all, as the presence of large quantities of lights, and what appeared to be several large space stations orbiting the planet, revealed this was an inhabited world. Numerous vessels moved around the planet and the large space stations, cylindrical in shape, each with a ring around its front end, looking like a combination between an Island-3 O'Neill-type Space Colony, and an Island-1 Stanford Torus-type Space Colony. Many of the ships surrounding the station looked similar to System Alliance vessels, but with radical differences.

Appearing from a large flash of light emerged a long vessel, roughly a full Kilometer in length with a steel grey coloring, and weapon emplacements across the hull of the vessel. Engraved on its side appeared its name written in plain english as '_CVS-03 Hercules_'. On the bridge of the vessel, a man who looked to be in his early twenties, with short black hair and crimson red eyes stood, wearing what appeared to be a black and red trimmed assault armor, with a helmet held under his right arm.

"We have a message coming in from Castleguard," An officer manning the communications station said. "It's from Miss Takeo."

"Patch it through." The young man said, and moments later appearing on the front screen was a woman wearing a simple black uniform, with shoulder length red hair and dark green eyes. "Ma'am."

"_No need to be so formal, Jaden._" The woman said with a small smile "_How did it go, son?_"

Jaden Takeo smiled "We managed to locate the _Scimitar,_ and copied all of the data as you asked," he said. "We got everything from the Warp Drive, Cloaking Tech, Disruptors, Photon Torpedoes… all their specs and more. We can easily begin refitting the fleet - it's 30 years outdated by their standards, but its still a huge leap for us all. We left the ship behind, and sent a discreet message to the Quarians for them to find."

"_They did find it,_" Sutura Takeo said, "_And so did the Federation - a battle ensued between them, but the Quarians managed to escape back to the Flotilla._"

"We just need to make sure it doesn't go to their heads…" Jaden said. "I understand the Federation's need for this 'Prime Directive' - wish the Council had that when it came to the Krogan… but the Quarians are anything but stupid, if they try anything else _after _they reclaim their homeworld, we may have to act."

"_Agreed, but the Quarians and Geth are the least of our problems,_" Sutura said. "_We still have the Borg to deal with… not to mention the Reapers._"

"Sometimes I hate it when we're right…" Jaden said with a sigh. "So they didn't just wipe out the Protheans… they practically spoon-fed them their technology. Now the rest of the galaxy is just ripe for harvest… "

"_It use too be,_" Sutura said. "_With the Federation, we might be able to stand a chance against them - and the Borg. But they can't do it alone. Morningstar will do its part as well, and develop superior weapons to deal with both the Reapers… and the Borg. And keeping… other factions from getting things they have no business having._" She then sighed "_Speaking of… I have another mission for you… it involves Cerberus._"

Jaden groaned. "What is it now?" he asked.

"_It's not much… at the moment,_" Sutura said. "_Harper contacted me, said he had reason to believe there may be an attempt on Shepard's life soon, courtesy of the Reapers… he says he has a plan to keep her alive, but wants our help. You and I both know Morningstar and Cerberus don't get along nearly as well as we used to, but if there is even the slightest chance Jack's intel is on the dot… we _cannot _afford to lose Shepard._"

Jaden nodded. "I understand," he said. "Don't like it, but I understand… what does he want us to do?"

"_He simply asked for one of our ships to be on standby when he needs us._" Sutura said. "_From the way it sounded, he expects this soon. I'll have our people keep an eye on the _Normandy's _movements. Once you resupply, try to shadow their movements, and if any trouble arises, be prepared to defend Shepard and the _Normandy."

"Yes ma'am," Jaden said as he saluted. "I've got it covered."

* * *

_**Thessia orbit**_

* * *

The prefabricated dock that had just been finished was beginning to build a ship using parts brought over from the other side, making construction of the ship much swifter.

Tevos sat beside Ron as he piloted the Class-1 shuttle toward the yard as more permanent and proper facilities were being constructed. "Why, exactly, is this necessary?" she asked. "You have dozens, if not hundreds, of ships an Asari crew could take command of."

"Public relations and good press," Ron replied. "Personally, I agree with you on the ship part, but that's above my paygrade."

"I thought the Federation had a moneyless economy," Tevos remarked.

"It's a figure of speech, councilor," Ron informed. "It means it was the decision of a higher authority."

The shuttle approached the dock, revealing the type of ship it was: a cruiser, but one Tevos knew. "A _Constitution_-Class," she said.

The ship in question was of the original configuration, from the cylindrical nacelles to the deflector dish.

Tevos looked at Ron. "I'm assuming there's a bit of symbolism involved here?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ron replied. "Personally, I would've picked the _Excelsior_-Class, but the Federation Council decided to pull out the old Connie. Don't be fooled, though: that thing is built like a tank. That's why they've been pulled back into service and updated with modern technology."

The shuttle flew over the saucer section, revealing the name and registry: USS _Athena_ NCC-95748.

"It's a remarkable amount of trust you're placing in us, to build a ship for us," Tevos said. "We'll do our best to live up to it."

"It's less a sign of trust and more a sign the Federation's speeding up your petition," Ron said. "You'll probably need to pull out a list of Asari officers to crew the _Athena_."

"Right," Tevos replied with a nod. "Well, looks like another step forward for us… by the way, I heard about the Turians' surprising luck with their Warp Drive."

"Don't remind me," Ron groaned. "That's going to be a pain in the ass, with the Volus being a client race of theirs. If they decide to join the Federation-"

"If you can't beat them, join them, I believe is the term," Tevos remarked.

"That is going to be one of the main detractors to their application," Ron continued. "We don't support caste societies: slavery is amoral and just… wrong."

"I do tend to agree, there," Tevos informed. "Some kind of solution to that situation would have to be worked out."

Ron flew the shuttle back toward the _Ra-Cailum_, which was currently launching and receiving small craft like there was no tomorrow. Until a proper construction ship arrived, the _Sovereign_-Class ship was the best ship for the job, seeing as she was a deep space first response ship, mostly specializing in starbase repairs and the like. "I know it's a bit late, but I apologize for the incident with the _Destiny Ascension_ when we first arrived," Ron said. "I… have a bit of a temper, and because I didn't destroy Sovereign, I was a little bit pissed off."

"It's alright," Tevos replied. "No real harm done. Plus, I think your arrival gave new hope to our own warp drive design team, who had been starting to run up against walls, that it was actually possible, so it all evens out in the end."

The old shuttle brushed past a _Delta Flyer_-Class shuttle before landing in shuttlebay 2. "I'm going to be a bit busy for the next few weeks, so you might not be seeing me much, Councilor," Ron said. "Still, Admiral Ushiromiya will be more then available if you want to hammer things out."

"And where will he be posted?" Tevos asked. "Illium?"

"Here, actually," Ron informed. "The Terra Nova will be here to relieve the _Ra-Cailum_ and begin construction of a _Lya_-Class starbase in a few days. The Asari are the only ones here who have actually applied for Federation membership, so it makes sense." He opened the side hatch and jumped onto the hangar bay floor, running to the exit doors and heading back to the bridge while Tevos simply walked, thinking.

'_If they ever discover Section 31's involvement..._' she thought, before shaking her head. They wouldn't.

* * *

_**SSV **_**Normandy**

* * *

"Disengaging FTL Drives," Joker reported as the _Normandy_ entered another system. "Emission Sinks active. Board is green, we are running silent."

"This is a waste of time," Pressly remarked. "Four days running up and down this sector and we still haven't found any sign of Geth activity. The _Raging Tempest_ and _Ra-Cailum_ practically wiped them out back at the Citadel."

Joker shrugged. "Three ships disappeared here in the past month," he pointed out. "SOMETHING happened to them."

"My bet's on slavers," Pressly informed. "The Terminus Systems are crawling with them, and not every Batarian was assimilated by the Borg or escaped into the other universe."

"Picking up something on the Long-Range Scanner," an ensign informed. "Unidentified vessel. Looks like a cruiser."

"Doesn't match any known signatures," Joker remarked.

The massive ship changed course to intercept the Normandy, and if anyone was looking aftward, they would have seen the ship's termite mound-like form. "Cruiser is changing course," the ensign informed. "Now on interception trajectory."

"That's impossible," Pressly exclaimed. "The stealth systems are engaged! There's no way a Geth ship-"

"It's not the Geth and it's not Borg," Joker realized. "BRACE FOR EVASIVE MANEUVERS!"

The ship fired a large beam at the _Normandy_, and while Joker avoided it for the most part, they still got clipped. Pressly got caught by an exploding console and collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Pressly!" The opposite console exploded, killing the ensign instantly.

"Kinetic barriers are down, not that they're useful," Joker reported. "Multiple hull breaches and weapons offline! Someone get that fire out!"

The cruiser fired again, hitting the starboard thrusters, causing heavy damage as everyone ran to the escape pods. The Normandy was practically doomed, but Joker kept fighting to give her crew a fighting chance to live.

Ashley and Hitomi ran up to Shepard, who was busy securing her helmet to her armor. "Nicole!" Hitomi called out.

"Distress beacon ready for launch," Shepard informed.

"You think help's going to get here in time?" Ashley asked.

"The Alliance won't abandon us, but I doubt they'll get here in time," Shepard replied. "Get everyone to the escape pods."

"Joker's still in the cockpit," Ashley informed. "He won't evacuate."

"And I'm not leaving, either," Hitomi added. "Not without you, Nicole."

Shepard sighed as she pulled out a fire extinguisher, putting out several fires before tossing it aside. "Ashley, I need you and Kaiden to get everyone to the escape pods!" she said. "Hitomi, we'll get Joker."

"Got it," Ashley replied. "See you on the other side."

Both Spectres ran from the aft compartment, making their way to the cockpit.

"Everybody in!" Ashley called out as she and Kaidan ushered people into a pod. "Go, go, go!"

People leapt in and secured their restraints, Ashley and Kaidan being the last ones in before the pod sealed itself and launched.

The Normandy was in ruins. 40% of the frigate was exposed to space, and what wasn't was badly burned and scarred by the beam weapon. It had been intended for the Normandy to be refit with deflector shielding after she returned to Earth, but now they weren't going to get the chance. The two Spectres reached the cockpit, finding Joker wearing a simple helmet and STILL at the helm. "Joker, we've got to go!" Shepard yelled.

"No!" Joker cried out. "I can still save her!"

"Save WHAT?!" Hitomi snapped. "The Normandy's gone! Even Starfleet wouldn't be able to rebuild her!"

"…Yeah, okay," Joker replied after a moment. "Come on, help me up." The two Spectres lifted him out of the seat… "They're coming around for another attack!" Joker yelled out in warning as he saw it.

This one actually hacked the Normandy in two, throwing Joker into the pod. "Commander! Lieutenant!" he yelled.

The hatch closed and the pod launched, with both Spectres still on board the dead ship.

"Well, fuck," he muttered.

The _Normandy_ exploded, sending them flying from the wreck with breached suits. In full view of the crew.

Help arrived, albeit too late, seconds after the death of the stealth ship in the form of an _Ambassador_-Class starship: the USS _Ayalde _NCC-89164.

It saw the cruiser and fired on it, using its' phasers to try and avenge the _Normandy_, but the ship was already retreating.

Shepard and Hitomi managed to make their way to each other, sharing what would most likely be their final embrace, as the _Ayalde_ recovered the escape pods.

The Ambassador-Class ship moved past the pair as their lives ended, as it jumped to warp. It would be the last thing, other than each other, that they would ever see. Oblivion claimed them moments later.

* * *

**Ron the True Fan: Vacuum exposure is not recommended. Unless you're a Borg. Then go right ahead. Otherwise, always wear an armored suit in space environments!**

**Takeshi Yamato: And that ends the events of ME1, as well as the ME2 Prologue. And in a bit of a twist, this time Shepard's lover is spaced with her. Given that she's an OC, it doesn't really change much, and I felt it worked better this way. Of course, this is not the end for these two, oh, no.**

**And, in other news, Ron and I are not alone in writing this thing anymore! :D**

**Ron the True Fan: Yes, as you've probably guessed, 117Jorn has joined us in writing this, although we won't be seeing much of him, seeing as he has a job and is busy 65% of the week. (Looks at Takeshi) 65% IS roughly four days, right?**

**Takeshi Yamato: Let me take a look… (gets out a calculator) Let's see… 7 times .65 is… 4.55. So, more like four and a half days, or five if you want to round to the nearest whole number.**

**Ron the True Fan: Good enough. See you next chapter.**

**Both: Ja Ne!**


	6. Chapter 5: Lazarus and Phoenix

Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!

Takeshi Yamato: We also don't own Mass Effect, or anything else that might make a cameo in this story… what can I say, I love importing things from other franchises and tweaking them to fit the destination! It still belongs to whomever created it, though.

* * *

_**Thessia orbit**_

* * *

_Captain's log, USS _Ra-Cailum_, Stardate 88205.7: It's been over two years since the loss of the _Normandy_, and I'm still reeling from the shock. Without Shepard, the Citadel Council is trying to bury all information on the Reapers while preparing for them at the same time._

_In the meantime, the Asari have joined the Federation: thousands of Asari military personnel have undergone conversion training courses at Starfleet Academy, and a large number of their ships have been refit with warp capability. Of course, things have been a bit more… crazy since then. As predicted, the turians have applied for Federation membership, but their client races are slowing down the process greatly, as the turian ambassador and the Federation Council are hammering out a proper agreement. _

_The Borg have decided to just… sit in Batarian space. There's no sign of trans-universal crossing there, but the Queen is up to something. The borg always are._

_Then there's Cerberus. A rouge human organization, they claim to be working for their best interests, but as a student of history, all I see is another Maquis: a bunch of terrorists attacking in order to try and get our attention. I've been given orders to make sure Cerberus doesn't do anything stupid. In short: blow them the hell up. I intend to do just that._

* * *

Sitting in one of the new ports over Thessia was the _Ra-Cailum_, which had undergone a six month long refit to properly install an element zero core onto the ship.

"Captain, we're clear to depart," the Comm Officer reported.

Ron, who was working on a PADD, glanced at Riza. "Take us out," he ordered. "Set course for the relay and take us to Eden Prime."

"Retracing our steps?" she asked.

"That's the idea," Ron informed. "That, and it's a flag-waving tour."

The _Sovereign_-Class ship left the port, heading for the relay before jumping to warp.

* * *

_**Unknown location**_

* * *

"_There,_" said an unknown voice as she started to regain consciousness. "_Something's wrong._"

"_They're reacting to outside stimuli,_" another voice said. "_Showing an awareness of their surroundings._" There was a pause. She started to move. "_Oh my god, Miranda. I think they're waking up._"

She tried to get up, but something held her down. "Damn it, Wilson, they're not ready yet!," the first voice said. "Give her the sedative! Shepard, don't try to move: just lie still. Try to stay calm."

"Heartrate still climbing and brain activity is off the charts," the second voice said. "Those new implants and the eezo-"

"Shut up, Wilson!" the first voice, obviously female, said again. "Just knock them back out!"

Before she passed back into unconsciousness, she turned her head, seeing her lover, Hitomi, in a bed next to her. She looked as beautiful as ever, even with the scars on her face and the mechanical device around her left eye…

'_Wait… what?_' she asked, but she didn't have a chance to think about it as she drifted into the land of nod.

* * *

Explosions seemed to be the order of the day the next time Shepard woke up.

"_Shepard! Wake up!_" the female voice said over speakers. "_I know you're not at a hundred percent, but you need to get out of that lab!_"

She jumped to her feet, noting Hitomi on the other table. NOW she could see the mechanical implants more clearly. And type classify them, as well: they were clearly Borg.

"_You don't have time, Shepard,_" the voice said. "_Wake her up and get your armor!_"

"Hitomi…" Shepard whispered, lightly shaking her. "Come on, Hitomi, wake up!"

Hitomi groaned as her eyelids fluttered open. "N… Nicole…?" she groaned as Shepard helped her to her feet. "Wh… what's going on…?"

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here," Shepard informed. "That locker's got armor and our weapons in it, so we'd better get redressed."

"Wait," Hitomi interrupted. "You've… did we get brought back to life by the Borg?"

"No, but some idiots decided to use Borg technology on us," Shepard replied. "Come on, let's get our guns."

The couple made their way to the locker, getting their armor on in record time before checking their weapons.

"What the hell?" Hitomi asked as she looked her M-23 Katana Shotgun over. "Where's the heat sink vent?"

"_A long story, Lieutenant, but weapons technology's advanced while you were out,_" the voice said over the speakers. "_You can find a thermal clip at the security checkpoint!_"

"Thermal Clips, huh?" Shepard asked as she checked her M-92 Mantis Sniper Rifle over, again, noting the heat sink vent was missing but now there was a slot for inserting some kind of cartridge. "I'm assuming we don't need to worry about overheating our guns anymore…"

A container near the door exploded, forcing it open, and there were three bodies outside. All with weapons and spare clips. "Ok, let's get the hell out of here and find out what the FUCK they did to us," Shepard remarked.

* * *

After about five minutes, enough mechs to make the Borg look like a more tempting foe and a new weapon, (who the hell made a grenade launcher in this day and age?) they ran into their first survivor: a man using biotics against the mechs. "Shepard? Yamato?" he asked. "Get over here!"

They ran over to him and joined him in cover, Shepard popping up with her Mantis to snipe a couple of the mechs before popping back down.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked. "I thought you were still a work in progress."

"We just woke up," Shepard replied. "Last thing I think we expected to do after what happened to the _Normandy_."

"And whoever brought us back to life apparently did so using Borg technology," Hitomi added. "Aside from that, you likely know more than we do."

"Well, I think the easy answer is this: both of you were dead, then Project Lazarus brought you back to life," he remarked. "Wasn't a fan of the Borg part, but that's outside my paygrade. Welcome back to your life."

Shepard's hand clenched, and a faint blue glow was seen. All three took notice. "What. The. Fuck." That was not a question. It was a statement. "How in the FUCK do I have biotics?!" she asked. "I thought Borg technology interfered with it!"

"Miranda can answer that better than I can," he replied. "Look, let's put those biotic powers to work and kill those mechs, THEN I'll play twenty questions!"

"Alright," Hitomi replied, as she Pulled a mech towards them, causing it to tumble off the railing. "Looks like I still have my Biotics, too," she said, before letting loose another blast from her shotgun. "Really wish I still had my sword, though."

Two more mechs were sent to their doom, followed by a third being slammed into a wall by Shepard's uncontrolled abilities. Of course, Hitomi had a range disadvantage with the shotgun. She eyed a weapon that was just barely out of reach: an Avenger assault rifle. Not her weapon of choice, but better than nothing. "Cover me!" she yelled as she leapt for the weapon, then rolled into a shooting position, firing the weapon as if she was trained to use it properly. She wasn't: assault rifles weren't a Vanguard's weapon, period. "What in the HELL did you people do to us?!" she demanded.

"Hell if I know, Lieutenant," the man replied. "I'm just the security guy!" The mechs were finally dealt with, and all three finally relaxed. "Ok, I said I'd answer your questions. I'll tell you what I know. Name's Jacob, by the way."

"How long has this 'Project Lazarus' spent rebuilding us?" Shepard asked. "And how bad were our injuries?"

"Commander, when I said you were dead, I meant you were dead," Jacob informed. "As in six-feet-under dead. But Project Lazarus recovered you both and spent two years bringing you back to live. Even had to use some Borg process to keep your minds from degrading. Whatever the hell is was, it worked. And Miranda decided to… upgrade you, as well."

"Another Borg process?" Hitomi asked.

"Yeah," Jacob replied. "Gave you proper Marine training and Shepard a bit of training on her biotics." He looked at the mechs. "Still needs a bit of work."

"No shit," Shepard remarked. "What about the _Normandy_?"

"Blown to shit," Jacob informed, "but most of the crew, including your team, is still alive. They were rescued by a Federation ship just after the _Normandy_ was destroyed."

"I think I remember seeing that," Hitomi remarked. "It was one of the last things I saw before blacking out back then. We'll need to let them know we're still alive."

"That's going to have to wait. We need to get to the shuttles and get the hell off this station." They followed him down several corridors, entering what appeared to be a server room after taking whatever they could from the side offices.

"HELP!" yelled a voice.

"Wilson!" Jacob exclaimed. "Come on!"

Several mechs were shooting at a man in cover who was clutching his leg.

"Jacob?!" the man asked. "Shoot those damn things and help me, damn it!"

The three went to action, Jacob with his pistol, Shepard with her sniper rifle, and Hitomi with her assault rifle. The room was soon cleared.

"Shepard? Yamato?" the man, Wilson, asked. "Who the hell-"

"You were there when we woke up!" Hitomi said in realization.

"I was there, yeah, but could we wait until we FIX MY LEG?!"

Jacob walked over to a med station and grabbed a medigel capsule before applying it to Wilson's leg, who was up and about in less than a minute.

"The shuttles are this way," Wilson said.

"What about Miranda?" Jacob asked.

"She's dead!" Wilson informed. "No way she could've survived THAT many mechs!"

Shepard reloaded her weapon. "Let's hope she makes it down there," she said. "She has a LOT to answer."

"Agreed," Hitomi replied.

There was another group of mechs, but they took them down quickly. "Okay, we took 'em down, but this is getting intense," Jacob remarked. "Shepard, Yamato, if I tell you who we're working for, will you trust me?"

"I think I already know," Hitomi remarked. "I saw the symbols on the walls before, during the hunt for Saren. This is a Cerberus project, isn't it?"

"Well, shit," Jacob replied with a sigh. "Yeah, this is a Cerberus op. Hate to say it, but you're the galaxy's only hope against the Reapers, and the Council's not doing shit to stop them."

"What about the Federation?" Shepard asked. "Captain Pinkerton and Captain Yamato?"

"The Feds are busy with the Asari," Jacob informed. "They know the threat's coming, but they aren't doing much besides retraining the Asari military to operate their ships."

"Considering that ONE of their ships is overkill, I don't think they need to do much else," Hitomi informed.

"Their almighty Prime Directive's keeping them from doing what they really need to do, Lieutenant," Jacob quipped. "Cerberus isn't sparing any expense. Otherwise, you two wouldn't be alive."

"Keep making threats and I'll see if any of that Borg tech includes that shit they use to assimilate people," Shepard informed. "Let's get to the shuttles."

The four people continued advancing forward, Shepard putting her hacking skills to good use by opening a few wall safes and slicing a few datapads to get some credits - they'd likely need them if and when they got to a shop on a station somewhere.

"Come on, the shuttles are-" the door opened and revealed a black-haired woman. "Miranda? but-"

She shot Wilson in the head before kicking his dead body. "I'm supposed to be dead?" she asked.

"What the fuck, Miranda?!" Jacob asked, shocked.

Miranda looked at him. "He's the one responsible for this. I'm just tying up loose ends."

"Like what you did with us?" Shepard asked.

Miranda chuckled as she saw the two Spectres. "Ah, I see you made it," she said. "Good. Our employer-"

"You mean the Illusive Man?" Hitomi asked pointedly.

The Cerberus leader looked at Jacob for answers.

"They figured it out," he said. "I was going to tell them, but-"

"But I recognized the symbols around this place, and on your uniforms, from the times we ran into Cerberus during our hunt for Saren," Hitomi informed.

"That complicates matters," Miranda remarked. "I'll answer your questions on the shuttle, unless you want to stay behind? And don't worry: your free will is completely intact. Giving you extra capabilities clashed with having you under our thumb, and we couldn't have one without the other. If you want to stay, it's up to you."

Miranda walked to the shuttle, and after a moment, was followed by the rest of the group.

"What the fuck did you do to us, Miranda?" Shepard asked.

"Simple," Miranda replied. "Regenerative Borg implants, vision devices, biotic amps, a neuroprocessor unit imbedded in your spinal columns-"

"What the hell?" Hitomi exclaimed. "Did you decide to play God with our bodies just like that?!"

"No," Miranda replied. "We wanted you to be better. Think of it like this, ladies: both of you are an army of one now. All you need is an uplink to a computer for all the training you need."

"That does sound useful," Hitomi remarked after a moment.

"I do hope you take advantage of it," Miranda said.

"You uploading Cerberus propaganda into our heads isn't happening," Shepard informed. "I'll talk with Ron - Captain Pinkerton - about using those… training methods later. Until then, we'll stick with what we've got."

"Alright, then," Miranda agreed. "We'll be at the base in a few hours, so get comfortable."

Hitomi and Shepard got into a small room in the back of the shuttle and got… _**very**_ comfortable.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- Eden Prime**_

* * *

"It's been a LONG time," Ron said as the _Sovereign_-Class ship hung over Eden Prime, simply there to make the natives feel more safe and for publicity shots.

"Too bad we aren't actually DOING anything use-" The tactical console beeped out a warning, interrupting the Andorian's sentence. "Ship entering the system," she informed. "According to the database… It's a Geth dropship!"

"Red alert, stand by weapons," Ron ordered. "Corpsa, hail that thing."

"Sir?!"

"Hail it!" Ron ordered. "I'd like to avoid another firefight!"

She hesitantly nodded, then opened the channel. The image revealed a heavily modified Geth Trooper… with a piece of salvaged N7 Armor on its body. And it spoke… it actually spoke. "_Pinkerton-Captain,_" it said.

"…That's a new one," Ron remarked. "I'm Captain Pinkerton, commanding officer of the _Ra-Cailum_. Might I inquire as to your… identity, if you have a name? I don't know that much about the Geth, so please forgive me."

"_We are Geth,_" the Trooper replied. "_There are 1,183 individual Geth runtimes operating in this terminal._"

"And Jesus asked the man, 'What is thy name?'" a particularly religious member of the crew murmured. "And he answered, 'My name is Legion, for we are many.'"

"_Accessing Extranet…_" the Trooper informed. "_Christian Bible, Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5, Verse 9. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor. We shall assume the moniker of Legion, a terminal and representative of the True Geth._"

"Ok, this is getting odd," Ron remarked. "Permission to land in shuttlebay two granted. Security teams, prepare to escort our guest to the briefing room on deck 15. We clearly have much to talk about."

"_Indeed, Pinkerton-Captain,_" Legion informed.

The channel closed as the dropship moved toward the _Ra-Cailum_.

"Maybe I should tell… him to say 'Captain Pinkerton' during the meeting," Ron surmised. "God, this is going to be VERY confusing." He walked into the turbolift and left the bridge.

* * *

_**Geth Dropship**_

* * *

Legion piloted his dropship to the rear of the starship, its bay doors opening to admit his entry. Once he had landed, the doors closed as he stepped out of the dropship, seeing the security teams approach.

"…Sir? I think. We've to escort you to the briefing room on Deck 15. Please follow us," the lead officer informed. "That is acceptable," the Geth platform replied as it followed the security team to a turbolift, which took them to the appropriate location just outside the conference room.

The Geth entered the room, finding Ron standing near a monitor displaying the Great Seal of the United Federation of Planets. "Legion," he said. "I would ask you to sit down, but I'm not sure that's applicable here."

"If it increases your comfort level, I will sit, Pinkerton-Captain," Legion replied.

"It would," Ron informed. "And please call me 'Captain Pinkerton', in that order." Both sat down, with the security team standing a few feet away, weapons ready. "Would you mind explaining what these… True Geth are? I presumed, perhaps incorrectly, that all of them followed Sovereign."

"You speak of the Heretics," Legion replied. "Those who follow the Old Machines."

"I presume the 'Old Machines' are the Reapers," Ron said.

"Again, you presume correctly, Captain," Legion informed. "The Heretics wished to follow the Old Machines. The Geth did not. A schism occurred, although peacefully."

"Not so peacefully," Ron replied. "They attacked Eden Prime and the Citadel two years ago. If it weren't for us, the damage could have been far, far worse. I do apologize for the loss of any… runtimes that you suffered."

"No apologies are necessary," Legion replied. "We say peacefully because at the time the Geth did not know the goals of the Old Machines. Goals that go against one of the Geth's highest priorities." At Ron's confused look, Legion continued, "One of the core tenets of present Geth morality is that all sapient species have the right to self-determinate - to choose their own path, their own destiny, their own future. For a race to choose to entrust their path to another, though not often viewed as wise, is not viewed as inherently negative. However, to enforce a future on another race, especially one they do not desire - to forcefully remove another race's right to self-determinate - is viewed as a grievous wrong by the Geth. The Old Machines seek to do this. And the Heretics wish to help the Old Machines in this."

Ron nodded as he took it in. "The… Heretics broke your version of our Prime Directive," he said.

"Prime Directive?" Legion asked.

"General Order One. We're not allowed to interfere in the development of any society. They have the right to choose their path, whether it leads to them joining the Federation or to isolate themselves or even to commit mass suicide. We can't interfere because we have no _right _to interfere."

Legion considered. "Prime Directive similarities to current Geth morality high," he informed. "Analogy appropriate."

"Then there is only one thing to do," Ron said. "How can we help you, should you decide to ask us for help?"

"This unit was in search of Shep - Commander Shepard," Legion replied. "We have been tracking her from point to point for 1.97 Terran years. We could not find her after tracking her to Alchera."

"Where the _Normandy_ was destroyed," Ron realized.

"Yes," Legion confirmed. "We used pieces of armor to repair self after taking damage at Eden Prime .5 years ago. At that point, we decided to find her closest ally that would not prove hostile."

"Us," Ron said.

"Yes," Legion replied. "We offer our services in preparing for the Old Machines. Also, report you might be interested in: Human colonies in Terminus Systems vanishing without trace for several months. We suspect Old Machine involvement. Most recent colony to disappear: Freedom's Progress."

"Then that's where we're going," Ron said as he tapped his commbadge. "Riza, take us to the mass relay and set our course to the colony Freedom's Progress."

"_Aye, sir,_" Riza replied. "_Setting course._"

"I hope you'll join me on the away team," Ron said to Legion. "We might get the answers we seek if we work together. Plus, it's a chance to try and promote a peaceful solution to the Quarian fleet issue."

"Very well, Captain," Legion replied. "We will join you."

* * *

_**Freedom's Progress**_

* * *

"For a colony of almost one million, the place is a ghost town," Jacob remarked.

Freedom's Progress was damn near deserted. The only life, if it could really be called that, was from security mechs.

"We need to find something," Shepard replied. "Anything."

They approached a closed hut, and when they opened it, they discovered a group of Quarians inside. One of them acted very surprised to see Shepard and Hitomi.

"Shepard? Hitomi?" Tali asked, shocked. She then saw another Quarian pointing his gun at them. "Prazza, you said you'd let me handle this!"

"I'm not taking any chances with Cerberus Operatives!" Prazza replied. The other Quarians were pointing their weapons at them, too.

"Put those weapons down!" Tali ordered. She then looked at Shepard and Hitomi. "Shepard? Hitomi?" she asked again. "Is that… you're alive?"

"Remember when Ron helped us get you that Geth data, Tali?" Shepard asked. "By the way, did it help you complete your pilgrimage?"

"Yes, it did," Tali replied. "Stand down: it's really Shepard."

"Then why is she working for Cerberus?" Prazza asked.

"I don't know," Tali replied. "Maybe we should-" Five columns of light appeared in the room, depositing four humans and a VERY unwelcome Geth into the room. "Geth!"

"Wait!" said one of the new arrivals. "Don't shoot!"

Two of the humans - wearing Starfleet uniforms - armed their phaser rifles.

"Tali. Good to see you again."

"Captain Pinkerton…" Tali began. "What are you doing with a Geth?"

"We sought to assist him in defeating the Old Machines," the Geth replied, causing the Quarians to stand there in shock.

"A Geth… speaking our language?" Tali asked. "That isn't possible - not only do they normally only speak their own language, most Geth platforms only have 100 runtimes - nowhere near enough for that level of sentients."

"There are 1,183 Geth runtimes operating in this terminal," the Geth replied. "We have taken the moniker 'Legion' for the time being."

"Long story, but Legion here was looking for Shepard," Ron replied. "Apparently, the Geth under Saren were a splinter group: the majority just want to be left alone. We decided to come here and find out what the hell's going on."

Neither team were too happy to see Legion, but as Starfleet was supporting this Geth, they stood down.

"Alright, Captain," Tali replied. "We're here looking for a Quarian named Veetor."

"Then we'll help find him," Ron informed. "Oh, and Shepard, we'll need you to pay a visit to the _Ra-Cailum_ and tell me where the hell you've been for the past two years. Starfleet Command will want to know you're still alive, and that you got semi-assimilated."

Shepard winced. "Technically, not 'semi-assimilated', Ron," she said. "And not 'still alive', either - more like 'brought back to life, with Borg technology used in the process'. Miss Lawson over here was the woman behind the process."

Ron cast Miranda a glare. "I'll arrest your ass later, Tal Shiar whore," he told her, speaking in Romulan, which none of them understood. "Let's find our Quarian."

"What was he doing here, anyway?" Shepard asked. "Doesn't seem normal for a Quarian to visit a Human colony."

"Quarians can go wherever they want on Pilgrimage," Tali informed. "Veetor liked the idea of helping a small settlement. He was always… nervous in crowds."

"She means that he was unstable," Prazza remarked. "Combine that with damage to his suit's CO2 Scrubbers and an infection from an open-air exposure, and he's likely delirious."

"When he saw us landing, he hid in a warehouse on the far side of town," Tali continued. "We suspect he also reprogrammed the security mechs to attack anything that moved."

"Fenix, Carmine, go with the Quarians. Santiago, Legion, you're with me: we'll join Shepard's team."

"Captain, that's not necessary-"

"I said, we'll join Shepard's team. There is no negotiating here."

Shepard smiled. The good old aggressive as all hell Ronald Pinkerton. At least some things didn't change. "I'll be glad to have you, Ron," she said. "Still not sure about the Geth."

"He's fine," Ron said. "Apparently, most Geth are, too."

The two teams set out, Ron supplying Shepard and Hitomi with Phaser Rifles as they advanced, taking out Security Mechs in their paths.

"There's a phrase for this," Ron said as his Type-3-II rifle melted another mech into molten ceramics and titanium before he used his type-2 phaser to vaporize another one. "Fish in a motherfucking barrel."

"Nice to see you haven't mellowed over the last two years, Ron," Shepard remarked.

"Oh, I've mellowed," Ron informed. "Helps having a great deal of construction work to do. Supply lines need to be made-" A FENRIS mech was turned into scrap by a high-density burst. "Shit like that. Starfleet actually kicked my ass for some of the shit I pulled two years ago. Barely came out of it with my rank. Guess it's because A) I spend so much time on the fringes of Federation space I forget how to NOT shoot at people threatening me and B)-" Two LOKIs were decapitated by his rifle's automatic fire mode. "I'm the best person to advise the new people on how things work here."

"_Shepard!_" Tali called out. "_Hurry! Prazza and his squad have drawn the attention of a YMIR mech! They're getting torn apart!_"

"Oh, fuck," Ron groaned. "Carmine, if your ass is dead, I'm not going to be pleased!"

"_Sorry, Captain!_" Carmine reported. "_They just rushed ahead of us! We're entering the - HOLY SHIT!_" Sounds of phaser fire, obviously panicked blind fire, came over the link.

"Rookie," Ron muttered. "Come on!"

They came to a locked gate, and on the other side, gunfire was heard. "Tali, can you open this-"

Ron and Santiago fired their phaser rifles at the door, cutting their way through and rushing into the square.

"Is he ALWAYS like this?" Miranda asked.

"Normally he's worse," Shepard replied. "Still better than Captain Yamato, though - Takeshi's a warrior, and a bit of an adrenaline junkie, not a diplomat."

Santiago and Ron focused their fire on the YMIR, taking off one of the arms before Ron shot off one of the legs and practically Krogan charged the mech, knocking it down before he recovered and climbed onto the mech's chest, firing he overpowered weapon into its' 'face', making it no longer function. His left arm hung limply from the shoulder.

"Ron, on the other hand, is a Krogan in a Human's body," Hitomi remarked. "Probably why Wrex likes him so much." She walked up to Ron. "You alright, Captain?"

"Barely," he said. "I dislocated my shoulder, and I think I broke something doing that." He handed her the rifle before forcing the shoulder back in its' proper place. "I definitely broke something: my arm."

"Come on," Shepard said. "Let's get Veetor out of here."

They approached the building Veetor had holed up in, and opened the door.

They found Veetor sitting in front of a terminal, muttering to himself. "Monsters coming back. Mechs will protect. Safe from swarms have to hide. No monsters. No swarms. No-no-no-no-no."

"Veetor?" Shepard asked.

"No Veetor. Veetor not here."

Ron sighed. "Allow me," he said as he walked behind Veetor before turning his chair around and looking at the Quarian eye-to-faceplate. "Veetor. You're alright. We're not going to hurt you." The Quarian seemed to notice that Ron wasn't going to hurt him.

"Uh, this is new." Miranda remarked.

"Not exactly," Hitomi informed. "He's got three sides to him: the damn near Krogan side that doesn't tolerate anything but victory, the Turian part of him that makes him so loyal to the Federation and a very Asari-like ability to comfort people through words. That rarely shows itself: everyone's usually trying to kill him."

Shepard shook her head. "Anyway, we still need information. Veetor, what happened here?"

"Monsters came. Took everyone. No one saw. But I saw." He activated his omni-tool, bringing up the colony's security footage. Dozens of aliens were taking the colonists away, all of them frozen.

"My God," Miranda remarked.

"Reminds me of the Solanae, only more direct," Ron informed. "Veetor, can you give us your omni-tool data? We'll take you onto the _Ra-Cailum_ for medical treatment, then we'll send you home if you want."

"Would be alright," Veetor said as he got a data chip out of his Omni-Tool. "Here. Data about the Monsters. The Swarms."

Ron smiled as he patted the Quarian on the shoulder as Tali entered the room. "Pinkerton to _Ra-Cailum_," he ordered. "Prepare for transport. We have several injured Quarians down here, including one suffering from PTSD."

"_Standing by, Captain,_" came the reply.

"Hey, Ron, how've things been in the Federation the past two years?" Hitomi asked. "After we woke up, we heard that the Salarians had joined the Federation, too…?"

"The Federation's doing just fine," Ron replied. "The Salarians have petitioned for membership, but some of their STG dealings are slowing it down."

"Like?" Shepard asked.

"Them pulling pre-spaceflight races off their worlds for study, the incident with the Krogan, the genophage, etc," Ron listed. "Still, if it goes through, the STG's going to become a branch of Starfleet Intelligence. Speaking of which, Ms. Lawson?"

Miranda looked at Ron. "Yes?" she asked, warily.

Ron pulled out his phaser rifle, holding it one-handedly. "I believe you and I have a meeting to attend," he said. "This meeting involves my phaser rifle knocking your ass out and you waking up in the brig."

"Are you threatening me, Captain?" she asked.

"Threaten? NO. Wouldn't dream of it!" Ron's face twisted into that evil, evil smile. "I said I'd arrest you. You have two choices: surrender and you walk into the brig, or resist and I have to shoot you."

"Neither of those can happen at the moment, Ron," Shepard said. "I kind of need her help for the moment. I'm not working for Cerberus, if you're worried about that - but they seem to be the only ones aside from Starfleet currently preparing to fight the Reapers. It's basically an alliance of convenience."

Ron lowered his weapon. "I expect a full report, Shepard," he said. "Consider your rank reinstated… Captain."

Shepard blinked. "Wait… Captain?" she asked. "_**ME?!**_"

"You were promoted posthumously - ow," Ron replied, wincing from the pain in his arm. "The Alliance kept your rank of Commander, but Starfleet decided to promote you after the Citadel Incident. Message just got lost in subspace. Congratulations. Fuck up and I'm on your court martial board."

"Th… thank you, Ron," Shepard replied. "I'll get a report to you as soon as I can."

"Tali, I'll have you and your team beamed onto the _Ra-Cailum_ and sent back to the fleet," Ron informed.

"You didn't like what we pulled with the _Scimitar_, Captain," Tali reminded. "Why are you playing nice now?"

"Because I'm still in a bit of shit with Starfleet Command over going gung-ho with everything two years ago. Sure, the results were great, but the means… not so much."

Shepard shook her head ruefully. "Same old Ron," she said. "Hitomi, Miranda, Jacob, let's get moving." She turned back to Ron. "Good to see you again, Ron - once I get a new ship, I'll come meet up with you again."

"Won't be able to join you this time 'round, Shepard," Ron informed. "I'm trying to prepare a galaxy for war. It's a bitch, but I'll try to keep you in touch. Just remember though: the moment a Cerberus ship shows up, doing suspicious activities, I'll be asking you the question."

"Which question?" Shepard asked.

"'Is that you?' I can't protect you this time," Ron said. "If you're working WITH Cerberus against the Reapers, I'll try and make sure you're not hunted down for it. If you're working FOR Cerberus… Starfleet will hunt you down."

"Got it," Shepard replied. "Don't worry - I doubt I'll be working with Cerberus for too long."

"Pinkerton to _Ra-Cailum_," Ron ordered. "Energize." The Quarians and Starfleet personnel beamed out, leaving the rest behind.

"Shepard-" Miranda began.

"Don't, Miranda," Shepard replied. "Cerberus has done a LOT of shit in the past to earn his ire. The same goes for me and Hitomi. If I can help people hurt by Cerberus, I'll do it. I will NOT help you make the lives of anyone else worse."

Hitomi nodded. "Like Nicole said, we're not joining Cerberus. We'll work with you, but only in terms of fighting the Reapers. Once they're dealt with, or Cerberus' goals change from fighting the Reapers, we'll go our separate ways."

Miranda nodded hesitantly. "I… guess that works," she said. "Come on, let's get back and report to the Illusive Man."

* * *

_**Cerberus station - 9 hours later**_

* * *

"Good work on Freedom's Progress," the Illusive Man said, "although I AM disappointed you didn't bring the Quarian with you, and that Starfleet was involved."

'_Sounds like someone doesn't like the Federation very much,_' Shepard thought. "You don't sound pleased about that."

"The Federation is just a larger version of the Council, only they don't want to help undeveloped races achieve their ultimate potential even more," the Illusive Man replied. "Cerberus isn't like that."

"I doubt we really want to get into an argument here," Hitomi remarked. "Just know that we're working _**with**_ you, not _**for**_ you, and only in regards to fighting the Reapers." She then sighed. "Still, did you get anything from that data about who's abducting all those colonists?"

"The data confirmed my suspicions: the colonists are being abducted by the Collectors, an enigmatic species from beyond the Omega-4 relay. No one who's gone through has ever come back."

"Starfleet's never sent a ship through, according to your data, and they've got tougher ships," Shepard said.

"They're too focused on consolidating their position to bother. But now we have a lead, and now you can begin building up your team."

"We HAVE a team," Hitomi reminded.

"HAD," the Illusive Man informed. "They broke up only a few months after you two died. Alenko and Williams are on a colony world, and are engaged. Urdnot Wrex is negotiating a treaty with the Klingons and the Federation. Something about 'channeling Krogan aggression into something actually useful'. T'Soni is doing research on the Protheans and the Reapers. You know about Tali'zorah."

"What about Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"For once, I have no idea where the fuck he is," the Illusive Man said. That was the first time they'd heard him curse. He must've been REALLY stumped.

"Alright, so they're not available," Shepard replied. "Guess we build up a new one, and as long as most of them aren't Cerberus operatives, we can take _**suggestions**_ from you."

The Illusive Man didn't seem to like having his authority challenged, but he needed Shepard and Hitomi far more than they needed him. A situation he did not like. "I have forwarded several dossiers to you," he said. "You'll need a ship, and I think I have a pilot you can trust."

"Hey Commander, Lieutenant." Both spun around to see Joker. "Long time, right?"

"Can't believe you're here, Joker," Shepard commented as they headed up the stairs from the comm chamber.

"Everyone left, the Alliance started covering everything up and I got grounded: damn right I joined Cerberus," Joker informed. "Sure, they do some shit that I don't like, but they're actually DOING something about the Reapers. And I get to fly this beauty." they came up to a window. "They only told me about it last night."

Lights came on, revealing a gleaming white ship. It looked like the _Normandy_, only almost twice as large, it didn't have a name yet, there were Cerberus insignias at different points on the ship, and it was also labeled 'SR2' as opposed to the _Normandy's_ SR1.

"It's good to be home, huh, Commander, Lieutenant?" Joker asked.

Shepard and Hitomi both nodded. "I guess we'll have to give her a name," Shepard commented.

Several minutes later, the ship, now named _Normandy_-A (Shepard had just shrugged and said, "I was inspired by Starfleet's naming conventions - what more can I say?"), left its dock, headed out to the stars.

* * *

_**Omega**_

* * *

While Starfleet had a mostly hands-off approach, the Klingons didn't see it that way. Omega, the Terminus Systems' unintentional answer to the Citadel, was quickly becoming a Klingon-dominated station. Something Aria T'loak was NOT pleased with. "What in the HELL are those barbarians doing down there, trying to make my life miserable?!" she demanded, looking over a map of the station. The sections in blue were under Aria's control while red (plus the Klingon Empire's trifoil emblem) indicated Klingon control. Much of the outer sections (the docks were quickly designated neutral territory) were under the Empire's tritanium fist while the inner core and everything but the life support systems (a Salarian doctor hijacked that, claiming something about 'protecting his clinic') was under Aria's control. She was fighting a losing war, however: the Klingons had better weapons and transporter technology.

Not to mention that vigilante Archangel - he knew better than to mess with her, but he was causing problems for the Blood Pack, the Blue Suns, the Eclipse… Once, she had been the undisputed (and unofficial) ruler of Omega. Now… now she only held part of the station, and things were starting to go to hell in a handbasket.

"Ma'am, those ridge-heads are making a push through the mines!" one of her underlings informed. "We can't hold them off without reinforcements!"

"I KNOW THAT!" she yelled. "Pull forces from the docks to take those Klingon bastards out! Try to recover their disruptors if you can: I'm getting tired of getting fucked in the ass by those lumpy-headed bastards!"

This was more or less the situation Shepard and Hitomi discovered when they entered Afterlife, a 'gentlebeing's club' turned command center. "Organized chaos," Shepard remarked. "The Klingons must REALLY want Omega."

"Yeah," Hitomi replied. "Good thing we picked up that Zaeed guy at the docks - don't want to imagine what kind of trouble we'd've had picking him up anywhere else. Of course, the Citadel visit was interesting, too - good to get in touch with Anderson again, and glad we got our Spectre status reinstated. That Kasumi woman was interesting, too - wonder what kind of trouble she'd get into here."

Two Batarians, who probably didn't leave the ME universe, (that title actually amused the two Spectres) pointed their weapons are the two.

"What the hell is going on?" Aria yelled. "Who the hell let THEM in?"

"The door was open, Miss T'loak," Shepard replied. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

"Anything you can help me with. _**Anything you can help me with**_?!" Aria slammed her stolen Klingon knife (a d'kang, they idly noted) into the table. "I have a team of vigilantes picking off my mercenaries, the Klingons are making my day a living hell and you ask me what you can do for me?!"

Shepard shrugged. "Honest question," she said. "Sounds like you have your hands full."

Aria threw her hands into the air. "Fine," she said. "If you can tell those bastards with Archangel to leave my fucking station, that would be grand! There's also a plague down in the lower levels near the life support systems. It doesn't affect humans, vorcha or the fucking Klinks, so you'll be perfectly fine. There. That's how you can help me! Now get the hell out of here!"

Shepard and Hitomi left Afterlife. "Never thought I'd see a truly ticked off Asari before," Hitomi remarked. "Guess the Klingons are really getting to her. So, what do you want to do first? Archangel or Doctor Solus?"

Shepard let out a breath. "Split up," she said. "You take Zaeed and Jacob down to the doc's location. I'll take Kasumi and Miranda and get Archangel."

"Two birds, one stone," Hitomi summarized. "Good idea."

"Thanks, Hitomi," Shepard replied. "We'll meet back at the docks once we're done."

* * *

_**Archangel siege location**_

* * *

At least 2000 mercs were waiting outside Archangel's hideout. Clearly, the Turian had a hell of a team: a Batarian tech expert, a former Krogan bouncer, a few ex-STG operatives, a former Eclipse sniper and Archangel himself.

A freelancer was hit with a round to the chest, causing a familiar sounding scream as he dropped into the abyss.

"THAT had to hurt." Kasumi remarked.

"Hey! New blood!" Shepard and her two escorts walked over to the Blue Suns leader. "I'd watch out if I were you: Archangel likes sniping the freelancers."

"That's fine," Shepard replied. "I was brought here to take him off the station. You just need to not shoot at him or his team."

"Oh, you're here for the diplomatic approach, or need him for something else, huh?" the Blue Suns leader asked. "Well, if you can get him to leave, all power to ya - we have enough trouble with the Klingons these days."

"I'll get him out of here. Just remember: don't shoot at them. I think Aria's going to need you for the Klingons."

"Aww, fuck, ANOTHER push?!" He ran off as Shepard approached the bridge leading into Archangel's hideout alone. Several red lasers made contact with her armor, but after a moment, they disappeared. '_The hell?_' She walked over, seeing members of the team, and was greeted by a Turian wearing full armor. At least until he took off the helmet.

"Shepard," Garrus Vakarian remarked. "Good to see you again. Thought you died when the _Normandy_ blew."

"Garrus?!" She asked. "Holy shit. You're Archangel?"

"Damn right I am," Garrus replied. "Thought I'd try to make a difference out here."

"You sure as hell did," Shepard informed. "All of those mercs are pissed, but they're more scared of you then they are angry. They'd rather fight the Klingons."

"Well…" Garrus began as a being in body armor walked over before removing his helmet, revealing a Klingon under the armor. "I might not have your charm, but the Klingons seem to like me." An explosion interrupted the Turian's statement. "For the most part."

Shepard nodded. "Got it," she said. "Anyway, I'm glad you decided to try and make a difference, but I need your help again. We think the Reapers are trying something new - have you heard of the Collectors?"

"Only rumors," Garrus replied. "They take things that are rare or different in some way. A Krogan with parents from feuding clans, left handed salarians, Quarians who've never left the flotilla: things like that. Now they're abducting humans?"

"That's right," Shepard informed. "I came here to get Archangel, who turned out to be you." She looked at his team. "I thought your team was wiped out, though."

"One bastard tried to betray us, but he got the Shepard Treatment," Garrus informed.

"The Shepard Treatment?"

"Let's just say it was something that even you wouldn't've survived."

Shepard nodded. "Well, we can bring your team along, as well - the more firepower, the better," she said.

"We're going to need to break this siege, first," Garrus informed. "The mercs want us dead something fierce."

"They're backing the hell off now," Shepard replied. "They'd rather fight the Klingons then you."

"Oh, that's hilarious," Garrus said with a laugh. "We scare them more than the Klingons. Didn't think that was possible." He put his helmet back on, just in case the mercs decided to shoot at his unprotected head.

"I'll radio Hitomi - she survived, too, long story - and we'll get you and your team the hell off this station."

* * *

_**With Hitomi**_

* * *

Hitomi, Jacob, and Zaeed made their way through the plague-ridden areas of the station, where Mordin Solus' Clinic was. Of course, they also had to deal with the Vorcha along the way.

Hitomi slammed a fresh Thermal Clip into her Assault Rifle. "Jeez, there seems to be no end of Vorcha in this area," she remarked. "Take four steps, and bam, there's another group coming after you."

"Makes for good target practice, though!" Zaeed fired at a vorcha pyro, lighting the flamethrower tank on its' back on fire before it exploded. "Come on, that doctor's gotta be nearby with so many vorcha trying to kill us." Shouting was heard two levels down, and it wasn't in any local language. "Looks like the Klingons managed to get in."

"Sounds like it, too," Hitomi replied as they continued forward, eventually making it to the clinic.

They entered the clinic's security checkpoint, seeing several mechs holding what appeared to be Klingon-built disruptor rifles.

"No funny business in the clinic," A guard informed. "Those disruptors aren't like those Federation phasers: these things are painful to get hit by."

Hitomi looked at Zaeed, who was eyeing one of the disruptors like a fat kid would look at candy. "Zaeed..."

"What? I like my guns. Sure, they look rough, but that just-"

Jacob shook his head as he entered the clinic. "You can have wet dreams about those things later. Let's get our doctor."

Zaeed chuckled at that as he walked into the clinic, followed by Hitomi. '_Where did they get those disruptors?_' Hitomi thought. '_Klingons don't just give those weapons away._'

Several sick patients waited in the lobby, waiting to be treated. "Christ, who the hell caused this?" Zaeed asked.

"Thought you would be less distressed about this, Zaeed," Jacob remarked.

"Shooting a man's one thing," Zaeed replied. "Infecting them with somethin' they can't fight back against? That's just wrong."

"Professor - we're running low on cipoxidin," one of the receptionists called out.

"Use malanarin," replied a Salarian who was most likely Doctor Solus. "Plenty on hand. Almost as good. Causes cramping in Batarians. Supplement with butemerol."

"Malanarin and butemerol," the receptionist replied. "Got it."

"Cenozine is the catalyst," Doctor Solus replied. "Bonds to genetic markers. Hard to find. Expensive to mass produce. Why not heplacore? No. Too unstable. Inconsistent results. Demozane better option. No. Demozane toxic to Humans. Not an option. Not an option."

The team walked into the lab, seeing their Salarian doctor working on a datapad. "Professor Mordin Solus?" Hitomi asked.

Solus looked at Hitomi and her escorts before scanning her with his omnitool. "Hmm. don't recognize you from this area, but no mercenary uniform. Too well armed for refugees. Quarantine still in effect. No uniform indicative of Federation Starfleet."

"Professor, please stop talking for a second," Hitomi interrupted. "My name is Hitomi Yamato, and we came here to recruit you for an important mission."

"Ah," Mordin replied. "Interesting. Can't leave, however: plague must be cured."

"Shouldn't you ask Starfleet for help?" Hitomi asked.

"Prime Directive prevents them from assisting, plus Klingon invasion of station would hamper any assistance," Mordin replied. "Not to mention cause trouble for both governments."

Hitomi nodded. "Alright," she said. "How can we help?"

"Have cure developed, but cannot aerolize: vorcha guarding life support control systems."

"We're going to need more firepower to get past THAT many-" Zaeed began before Mordin pointed at a table, which had several Klingon weapons on it, including disruptor rifles and pistols. "Oh, fucking A."

"Weapons work similarly to phaser rifles from examination: multiple firing modes," Mordin explained. "Can't cut, however: weapon only disrupts bodily functions. Extremely painful."

"How does it work against shields?" Zaeed asked.

"Kinetic barriers useless," Mordin informed. "Goes right through. Klingon personal deflector shields absorb impacts to a degree, but will fail eventually."

Zaeed grinned as he picked up a Disruptor rifle and set it to the 'Full Auto' setting. Hitomi picked up another rifle, setting it to 'Pulsewave', while Jacob picked up a pistol.

"Would say good luck, but doubt you need it," Mordin informed. "Also, assistant Daniel in vorcha territory: doubt he's alive, but hope he is."

"We'll look for him," Hitomi replied. "If we find him, we'll send him back to the clinic."

"Good," Mordin said. "Controls are five levels down. Likely to encounter Klingons as well."

Hitomi sighed. "Here's hoping that the Klingons are diplomatic," she said.

* * *

_**Two Levels Below the Clinic**_

* * *

Zak'Jul, son of Joragh, Warrior of the House of Martok, Captain of the _Qin_-Class Heavy Raptor IKS _Vol'Tare_, let out a battle cry as he sliced into a Vorcha with his Bat'leth while the rest of his team finished off the rest with their Disruptors.

After the battle was over, he sighed. "I wish I was back in our universe, killing _qa'meH quv_," he muttered. "Or even fighting Borg. The rabble here in Omega poses no challenge - even these 'Vorcha' are nothing but pests, less of a challenge than wild Targs!"

The Vorcha were numerous, but they were weak and unskilled in the art of battle, using swarming tactics to fight, but they were nothing to Klingon weapons, ranged or melee.

Two vorcha died by a disruptor bolt each to the head, prompting him to turn around and see a trio of humans wearing local armor, but using Klingon weapons. "Captain, don't shoot," the lead one, a female said. "We're friendly!"

He looked them over. "Hmm…" he said. "Your armor is native to this universe, but not like those of the gangs here in Omega. Were you brought in by that Salarian doctor?"

"You… could say that," the female said. "Lieutenant Hitomi Yamato. We're here to distribute a cure to this plague affecting the native races. Why it's not affecting humans and Klingons, I'll never know."

"Agreed," Zak'Jul remarked. "I was never a scientist. I take it you are headed further down?"

"To the life support control area," Hitomi replied. "We can aerolize the cure from there."

"My warriors will not stand in your way," Zak'Jul said. "Do what you must. This plague is a tool used by those without honor. It is more worthy of the Undine or the Tal Shiar."

"Right," Hitomi replied. "Thank you very much, Captain. May you bring great Honor to your House."

Zak'Jul nodded. "And may success always find you," he replied, as the three Humans set out again.

The humans ventured further into the station's depths, leaving the Klingons to their own devices. "RAGH!" As the vorcha began attacking again, those devices appeared to be killing everything that wasn't on their side.

* * *

_**Arcturus Station**_

* * *

The capital of the Systems Alliance was surrounded by warships of many classes, all defending the station.

The turians, who had applied for Federation membership, had publically pulled out a sheet of paper and burned it, followed by a statement more or less saying 'build as many dreadnoughts as you want; we just don't give a shit anymore'.

Still, that wasn't followed through by the Alliance, although they WERE beginning to build a new carrier class based on the _Kilimanjaro_-class, meaning that they could easily be converted into dreadnoughts.

Steven Hackett drank from his cup of coffee as he read the reports about the Federation constructing a new shipyard near Sur'Kesh in preparation for the Salarian's introduction into the Federation. "Those people threw the galaxy into chaos," he remarked.

"Chaos, Admiral?" asked a feminine voice from the shadows.

Hackett blinked, looking around the room, spotting a female figure in what looked like a black jumpsuit. "Who are you?" he asked.

She walked out of the shadows. "Flay Allster. I'm a member of Starfleet Intelligence. We call ourselves Section 31." Hackett reached for the alarm button, but Flay shook her head. "I had the liberty of disabling the alarms, Admiral. I'm just here to talk." She walked over to a chart with the basic outline of a _Monarch_-Class starship and estimates of how powerful it was compared to their dreadnoughts on it. "Oh, wow."

"Impressed with our intelligence network?" Hackett asked.

"More like amused," she replied. "This is nowhere near what a _Galaxy_-type starship can do."

Hackett scowled at that. "Alright then," he said. "What do you want, Miss Allster?"

"I want to help you," she replied. "The Federation needs to be able to help in this galaxy, especially with the Reapers and the Borg, but their hands are tied with the Prime Directive." She grinned. "Thankfully, Section 31 operates a bit like the Citadel Council's Spectres, only so far off the books that practically no one knows about us. It lets me give you what you'll need to get past the Prime Directive." She passed him a PADD.

"Blueprints for a working warp drive," Hackett said.

"You catch on quickly."

He placed the PADD on the desk. "I don't trust you, Allster," he said. "And this is probably how the Asari developed their warp drive so quickly. We weren't experimenting with anything before the discovery of the Prothean archives. You gave them these blueprints, forged documents. You're no better than Cerberus."

"Cerberus is a pro-human only organization, Admiral," Flay chided. "The Federation promotes diversity and accepts new ways of thinking. Cerberus is just a bunch of terrorists crying out for attention."

"Point taken," Hackett replied.

"The Federation is what some people might call utopia, a paradise," Flay remarked. "Section 31 exists to keep it that way, by doing the tasks that regular Starfleet can't do, either due to physical or legal limitations. That includes helping to bring new governments into the fold. And with the Reapers coming, Starfleet can't afford to be bogged down by the Prime Directive."

Hackett huffed. She had a point. He just didn't want to hear it. "I'll keep your… offer to myself," he said. "But I think we can develop warp drive on our own."

"It's open for as long as possible, Admiral," Flay replied. "If you need our help, just ask. Keep the PADD: you're going to need it." She returned to her corner and beamed out of his office.

Hackett ran through his options. Talking to captain Pinkerton was out of the question: he probably knew nothing. The Federation Council wouldn't acknowledge it. The Asari would say he was crazy. "Damn it," he muttered.

* * *

_**Omega**_

* * *

Hitomi's opinion on the Vorcha was easy to understand now. She fucking HATED them. After killing hundreds of them and aerolizing the cure throughout the quarantined sectors, she just wanted to lay down in a bed with Nicole.

She made her way back to Doctor Solus. "We managed to get the cure into the ventilation systems," she told him. "And if I ever have to fight another Vorcha again, it'll be too soon."

"Ah, good!" Mordin replied. "Daniel made his way back a few minutes ago: scared out of his mind, but alright."

"Good," Hitomi said. "Will you be able to join us now?"

"Of course," Mordin informed. "Let me get some of my notes: plague might be used on other races. Will be important."

"_Shepard to Yamato,_" Shepard said over the comms. "_Hitomi, you there?_"

"I'm here, Nicole," Hitomi replied. "Just managed to recruit Professor Solus, and I fought so damn many Vorcha to do it - he'd synthesized a cure for the plague in this area, and we needed to get it to the ventilation - corridors were packed with Vorcha." She sighed. "Nicole, once we get back to the ship, you. Me. In bed. No exceptions."

"Okkkkaaayy," Shepard replied. "_Good news, on my end: Archangel turned out to be an old friend of ours. His team was intact as well, and we're on our way back to the _Normandy _without a hitch._"

"That's good," Nicole replied. "We'll see you there." She closed the channel as Mordin walked up. "All set, Professor?"

Mordin nodded, holding a large number of datachips in his hand.

"Alright, we're leaving and we're NOT coming back," Hitomi informed.

* * *

_**Ninmah Cluster, Mulla Xul system**_

* * *

The _Ra-Cailum_ entered the system upon detecting a subspace energy signature. If it was the Borg, they would have to send a message back to Illium and request reinforcements. "Well?" Ron asked.

"There's a ship in the system, but it's not Borg," Corpsa said. "The ship's hull is mostly made of duranium."

Ron rose an eyebrow "Duranium?" He asked, "That's a better substance the titanium, but a far cry from the materials we and everyone else back home use. Riza, take us toward the ship: short warp jump." his sister complied and performed the warp jump, ending up within visual range of the ship in question. It was certainly large, about the size of a Dreadnought, however Ron could tell there were hangar bays on the vessel, which pointed to it likely being a carrier-type vessel, only armed like a Battleship. But he could see no sign of any noticeable Borg Technology on it.

"Open a channel, Corpsa." he ordered, as Corpsa nodded.

"Channel open."

Ron cleared his throat. "This is Captain Ronald Pinkerton of the Federation starship _Ra-Cailum_." He ordered. "Please identify yourself."

There was a short pause, however soon an audio reply was heard "_This is Commander Jaden Takeo, of the Morningstar Strike Carrier _Hercules." The reply came, followed by a sigh. "_Goddamn Translight engines… sorry if we surprised you _Ra Calium, _we were heading back from a mission, when our Translight Engines shorted out… then again I believe this meeting was inevitable to begin with._"

"Considering you're using a technology suspiciously sounding like quantum slipstream drive, I would say so, Commander." Ron said, as he looked at his tactical officer, who began scanning the ship. "You're not Alliance, and I doubt you're from my universe. So, mind telling me which organization you're a part of?"

"_As I said, we are part of Morningstar._" Jaden answered, "_Hang on, one moment… _" A few moments later, the front screen showed the bridge of a vessel. Ron saw it had some similarities to Systems Alliance vessel bridges, but built much more militarily. And sitting in the center was a young man, obviously Commander Takeo. "_Ah, that's better. Nice to meet you face to face Captain Pinkerton. As I was saying, we are part of Morningstar… I suppose you could say we are a Private Military Company like the Blue Suns, Eclipse and Blood Packs… only more organized, and less like glorified Pirates and Privateers._"

'_Considering that pirates and privateers are practically the same damn thing, that last part was redundant,_' he thought, but did not speak it out loud before he spoke. "Commander, your ship seems to use duranium for hull armor," he said. "We've scanned several systems outside range of the relays and haven't found any metals native to our universe. That leads me to two conclusions. Either you found a source we haven't, or you have an unauthorized mining operation in our universe. Please tell me it's the former and not the latter. And be truthful. I'll know if you're lying."

Jaden chuckled, shaking his head "_Have no fear Captain, we have not been mining in your universe,_" he said. "_We have found several star systems outside of systems with Relays, and we've found large quantities of Duranium and Tritanium alloys, more of the former than the latter unfortunately, but we make due with what we've got. Either way, its better than using simple Titanium Alloy, Duranium works for us until we find larger quantities of Tritanium to mine here. It appears that these two alloys are not present in any known Relay system… yet in worlds outside the Relay Network they are rather plentiful._"

"We've noticed more or less the same thing." Ron said. "However, your ship does appear to be using what appears to be reverse engineered deflector shielding and if my tactical officer is right, weapons that roughly are equal to ones from 80 years ago. So, who gave you those specs, Commander, that way I can deal with them for breaking several Federation laws?"

"_I see no reason to lie to you, however those weapons are not… entirely reverse-engineered._" Jaden said. "_We discovered a Romulan _'Scimitar' _we believe you call them a while back. We simply copied the data, and left the ship drifting - we have no real interest in copying the Warp Drive of the ship, since we have our own Translight Engines. And before you start quoting the Prime Directive at me… that ship belonged to the Romulans - not the Federation. We never touched any Federation property, including the Android 'Data'. In fact we sent a message directed to your ships after we got the information we needed - but as you probably know, the Quarians intercepted it first._"

"So we noticed," Ron said. "You could have sent a courier to the Citadel instead of a general call. I'm still to blame for letting the Quarians get that ship in the first place. I'll leave you to your own devices out here. Just don't do anything stupid like what Cerberus pulled two years ago: we tolerate terrorists as much as most people do." His eye narrowed. "Meaning we don't."

"_We agree,_" Jaden said with a sigh. "_I will admit to you Captain… The Takeo Foundation - the Founders of Morningstar - _used _to work with Cerberus… but as you have seen, Cerberus has been getting more and more radical as the years go by, and the Illusive Man… he's not the same as he used to be. We've cut most of our support with Cerberus off long ago… right now, we only share a similar goal - the protection of the colonies in the Terminus Systems, only we wish to protect _all _of them, not just Human ones. But once the Collectors have been dealt with… we'll be taking care of Cerberus once and for all before they get their hands on something like a _Scimitar _or worse._"

"Very well," Ron said with a sigh. "I'll inform Starfleet Command about this. And probably get in deep shit again." The _Ra-Cailum_ turned to leave the system, jumping to warp and heading to the mass relay, likely back to Illium.

* * *

**Normandy** _**SR2 (Also Known As **_**Normandy**_**-A)**_

* * *

"Garrus!" Hitomi called out as she stepped aboard, Mordin following her. "Good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you, too, Yamato," Garrus replied. "Just like old times, only without the big guns helping us."

"Ron's a busy man nowadays, and Starfleet's not a friend of Cerberus," Hitomi informed. "Speaking of which, neither are we: we're just using them to fight the Reapers."

"Good to hear," Garrus replied. "My team's down below: something about 'ship's security not being as good as they're used to'."

"Makes sense," Hitomi remarked. "The most dangerous people leave the ship, someone's going to try and board her."

They came up to CIC, where there was a surprise waiting for them. A hologram of what was more or less a Pacman turned sideways on top of a traffic cone appeared in place of the galaxy map. "_Greetings, Mister Vakarian,_" it said.

Garrus looked at Shepard. "PLEASE Tell me that's a VI," he pleaded.

"Part of me wishes that, too," Shepard muttered. "Garrus, this is EDI, or Enhanced Defense Intelligence. She's a full AI, but she only has access to the cyberwarfare suites for use in battle. She… came with the ship."

"Great. Just great. I thought the AI on the Citadel and the one on your homeworld's moon was the end of it." Garrus paused. "Except for the Geth: I'll deal with them."

"Not as much as you would think." Before Garrus could ask, Jacob gave him the 'long story' look. "Well, what's our next stop?" "We're picking up a Krogan on Korlus. Joker, take us out of here." "Aye, aye, Commander. The further we are from those Bortasqu'-Class ships, the better." The Cerberus ship sped away from the dock just as MORE Klingon ships, mostly K'tinga-Class battlecruisers and a massive Vo'quv-Class carrier, entered the system. Aria was about to have her hands full.

* * *

**Earth Spacedock - Medical wing**

* * *

Benezia T'Soni was a very disturbed Asari. Having her mind toyed with made her question her will to live at times, but generally, the Matriarch was otherwise mentally stable. That made this part all the harder for Tevos and other ruling members of the Republics.

Of course, they didn't have to talk with her. "Benezia, I know this is hard, but your people need you," Tevos replied.

"Need me for what?" Benezia asked. "I was a pawn of Saren. I'm just as guilty as he is."

"We investigated your activities, and it looks more like you were trying to mould Saren into a force for good," Tevos replied. "But exposure to the Reaper artifacts… changed that." Bezenia nodded. "Well, according to the doctors, you're free of that now. Now there's just one more thing that we need to take care of."

"What is that?" Benezia asked.

"It's been decided… that you should be the first Asari representative on the Federation Council," Tevos informed. "I told them I would ask you, first."

Benezia's eyes widened. "They want me… on the Federation Council?" she asked. "Surely there has to be someone more qualified…"

"As much as I would like to say otherwise, there isn't. Besides myself, you are the only Asari that has spent a large degree of time with Federation citizens. And I'm needed on the Citadel Council. If it weren't for my leave of absence to be here, I would still be on the Citadel."

Benezia would have blushed had she been able. She had been reading to pass the time: Federation law was one of the many subjects, as well as history, that she had read. "I… see," she said.

"We need you on the Federation Council, Benezia," Tevos continued. "I wish we could just let you retire, but unfortunately, that's not an option."

Benezia took in a breath. "...I accept. But this is just a temporary posting. I-"

"We know," Tevos replied. "You still feel like you're falling down a dark tunnel. Your replacement will be selected the usual way, by e-voting. There's a lot of candidates, so it might be a long time."

Benezia looked out over Earth as a _D'Kyr_-Class ship flew past. "Do you think Starfleet can help us defeat the Reapers?" she asked.

"They're our only chance," Tevos replied. "They're so technologically advanced - even more than the Reapers - that I feel we might stand a chance."

Benezia remained silent, only thinking about the next wave that would be coming.

* * *

**Constitution**_**-Class USS **_**Athens** _**NCC-95748 - near Batarian/Borg space**_

* * *

The old style _Constitution_-Class cruiser flew past a wrecked Batarian ship before connecting with a relay and being sent to the Bahak system in the Viper Nebula to investigate the mass relay there.

"Status report," the Captain, Amyla Tenis, ordered.

"We've cleared the relay, and there's no sign of any Borg ships, ma'am." Varia Asime tugged down on her 2266-era skirt. "I can't say the same for my uniform. What were those humans thinking back then?"

"Can't answer that, unfortunately," Amyla replied. "We were asked by Starfleet Command to either prove or disprove Dr. Kenson's theory about this being the oldest relay ever built. Yalra, anything from sensors?"

Yalra Tashor, over at the sciences station, replied, "One moment, Captain. Running Quantum Dating scan now."

Amyla chuckled. When she was told that she was being given command of the _Athens_, her first response was that it was an insult. After two months in command, and blowing up a few pirate ships, she apologized to High Command. the ship might have LOOKED old, but the old-style design of the ship belied its' technological advancement.

"Scan complete." Yalra informed.

"And?"

"Dr. Kenson was right," Yalra said as she stood up, facing her captain. "This relay is over 320 million years older than every other relay we've scanned. This is truly the Alpha Relay."

"It's also the closest relay to dark space, and if Kenson's right, this relay will let the Reapers into 16 other relays and jumpstart the invasion while completely avoiding the Borg collective," Varia remarked.

"We need to make sure that doesn't happen," Amyla informed. "Options?"

"An asteroid can destroy the relay, but this system avoided the brunt of the Borg assault: there are still 300,000 Batarians here," Yalra replied. "And we can't evacuate them."

"We could have Starfleet build a Starbase here," Varia informed. "Even a simple _Regulus_-Class Starbase could likely hold off the Reapers for a while - a _Lya_-Class could likely take down a fairly sizable portion of the Reaper fleet, if not all of it."

"Not an option, Captain," Yalra reported. "Sensors have picked up a large number of mass effect fields closing in on the system at Warp 2.1. The Reapers are going to be here in three days, and even we won't be able to stop all of them from going through. Even if we did have more time and a Lya-class starbase, they would still be able to get through, even if we could destroy more of them."

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't," Amyla muttered. She thought about it for a few moments. "What if we called Starfleet in?" she asked after a moment. "We have three days - we could either assemble a large enough fleet to hold them off, or evacuate as many people from the system before we destroy the relay."

"That's another problem." Yalra brought up an image on one of the monitors, displaying the area. And why it was a problem. "We are on the very edge of Borg territory. We call for help or bring in a fleet, they'll come swarming, and they won't stop with just the Reapers. They'll move into the galaxy."

"Damn it!" Amyla yelled. "There HAS to be a way! We can't just kill a third of a million people!"

"I hate to point this out, ma'am, but in terms of numbers, three hundred thousand is a small price compared to trillions," Varia remarked.

"The Batarians are nearly extinct!" Amyla yelled. "We can't just-" whatever she was going to say was halted when the com station beeped. Tala G'Yal, the com officer, looked at her CO expectantly. "Put it through."

"_**RUDIMENTARY CREATURES OF BLOOD AND FLESH,**_" came a voice that chilled them all. "_**DESPITE THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR HERALD, SOVEREIGN, YOU CANNOT STOP THE ARRIVAL.**_"

Amyla steeled herself. "This… this is Captain Amyla Tenis of the Federation starship _Athens_." She said. "Identify yourself."

"_**YOU DEMAND A TITLE FOR THOSE WHO MAINTAIN THE CYCLE. IF A NAME IS WHAT YOU SEEK, THEN I AM HARBINGER.**_"

Fitting name, indeed. "Harbinger, you won't win this," Amyla said. "We have allies now, more powerful then you are or ever will be. This 'cycle' ends here."

"_**YOU SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHICH IS INFINITELY YOUR GREATER,**_" Harbinger informed. "_**WE ARE YOUR SALVATION THROUGH DESTRUCTION. PREPARE YOURSELVES. YOU CANNOT STOP US.**_" The channel was cut.

Yalra spoke up again. "There's an old Vulcan saying, Captain. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.' Harbinger might be right about us not stopping them outright - but we can slow them down."

Amyla sighed. "Take us to the asteroid belt. We'll destroy the relay."

* * *

_**Korlus**_

* * *

"Well, the mission wasn't a complete waste," Kasumi remarked.

"If you call capturing a massive tank with a tank-bred Krogan in it instead of a fully-trained veteran battlemaster a success, this mission is doomed," Garrus replied.

The mission did not go as planned. The Blue Suns screwed everything up on this one, as they had (somehow) captured a fully armed Klingon D7-Class battlecruiser.

Okeer was dead, but his 'ultimate Krogan', who was still infected with the genophage, was alive and well, if… inside his tank.

"So, what do we do about the tank?" Zaeed asked.

"We open it," Shepard replied.

"Could be rather dangerous, Nicole," Hitomi informed. "I mean, that is still a Krogan in there, Tank-Bred or not."

"Well, I'm not handing him over to Cerberus-" Shepard began.

"For the love of god, not again-" Miranda groaned.

"And I'm not throwing him out the airlock. So… option three. We unleash the 'ultimate krogan' on an unsuspecting galaxy."

Zaeed laughed at that one. "That sounds like the trailer to a bad movie," he said.

"I'll go unleash the krogan," Shepard informed. "I know this ship's got forcefields, so keep them on standby, EDI."

Miranda gaped at that. "How-"

"Come on, Lawson, this ship uses pure Starfleet technology. I know you stole force field emitters."

Miranda groaned. "Alright, fine, do what you want," she grumbled.

* * *

After an agonizingly slow elevator ride ('who the hell designed this thing, anyhow?') to the engineering levels, Shepard stood in front of the tank in question. "Ok, EDI. Release the Krogan!" She said.

"_While using a quote from an extremely old vid is… questionable, I am awakening the krogan and draining the tank._" Shepard chuckled as the tank drained and opened up, releasing the aforementioned Krogan. Who consequently charged at Shepard.

She used her new Biotics to throw him back, and then a force field sprang up around him.

"ARGH!" the Krogan yelled

"Calm the hell down, Krogan." Shepard shouted out, as the Krogan looked at Shepard.

"Human. Female." He growled out. "Before you die, I need a name."

"You'll get it," she said. "Commander Nicole Shepard."

"Not yours. MINE."

Shepard blinked. "What?"

"I am trained." The Krogan said, "I know things. But Okeer… couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow."

"Like you if you don't stop trying to kill me," Shepard remarked.

"Warlord, legacy… grunt. That one doesn't have meaning. It'll do."

Shepard huffed in amusement. "So, Grunt. Now what?"

"Need a meaning," he replied. "Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as any other."

"Okeer's ultimate krogan needs a reason to fight," Shepard remarked. "Fight on our side: my crew is strong; a strong clan. You'll make us stronger." Maybe spending time with Ron made her better at xeno-psychology. This was usually his thing.

"Hmm... If you don't live up to my expectations, I'll kill you myself."

"Don't worry," she replied. "I'll prove myself."

"I'll stay down here until I'm needed," Grunt informed. "Find me something to kill."

"Don't think you'll be waiting too long. Next mission, you're coming along."

* * *

_**Starbase **_**Apophis** _**- Illium orbit**_

* * *

Starbase Yucatan had long since been dismantled, and a more useful _Lya_-Class starbase was now in its' place. And at that moment, one of the ranking captains was being yelled at. "Captain, I know the Reapers were coming, but SLAMMING AN ASTEROID INTO A RELAY MINUTES AFTER YOU LEAVE?!"

"It was the only way to do it without dragging the Borg out of their space, Admiral Ushiromiya!" Amyla yelled.

The redheaded Vice Admiral Ange Ushiromiya rubbed her left temple in an attempt to ward off the coming headache. "Captain, the Council is going to be on my ass for this," she said. "I have to tell them WHY you did that without trying to evac the Batarians that were still there."

"I don't even know why the Borg didn't push into that system," Amyla replied. "They have the troops."

"They won't bother because there was no point. They have the Batarians right where they-"

The door opened, and in came Ron's head. "Is this a bad time?"

"Come in, Captain Pinkerton," Ushiromiya informed. "Perhaps you could help me with something. Captain Tenis here blew up a Relay to keep the Reapers from coming through, and I need to figure out what to tell the Council."

"That I blew up a relay two years ago to keep the Borg from getting their hands on what could've killed us all?" Both women looked at the man in shock.

"What could have…" Ushiromiya muttered, shocked. "You're talking about the Omega Particle, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am. The file is classified, for reasons known. I destroyed a relay to make sure the Borg couldn't make Omega with the resources in that system. I recommend you say nothing on the matter."

"I'm not sure we can do the same thing with Captain Tenis' destroying a Relay," the Admiral replied. "Not only did the Omega Directive not apply, there were 300,000 Batarians in that system, who weren't evacuated before it was destroyed."

"Article 14, Section 31, Starfleet charter: a Starfleet officer is permitted to use extraordinary measures in times of dire emergency. The Reapers are a threat to even the Federation. With respect, Admiral, the protocol applies."

Ushiromiya sighed. "Alright, we can go with that," she said. "Still, try not to cause any more civilian casualties if you can help it, Captain Tenis. We're not in the business of doing that."

"I… wasn't happy about it, either, Admiral," Amyla replied. "But the needs of the many, unfortunately."

"Vulcan logic," Ushiromiya remarked. "A pain in the ass if there ever was one, captain. Dismissed." The Asari left the office and Ange looked at Ron. "Then there's Starfleet's problem child."

"Ma'am?"

"You have always had issues, Captain." She stood up to face the former drone. "While you try to follow regs, you mostly fail. That's why we sent you to the frontier. It's more lawless out there. Now you are one of the key officers in this universe. I need you, unfortunately for both of us."

"Perhaps you should bring in Captain Yamato," Ron informed.

"He's an adrenaline junkie," the Admiral said. "He'll do something he'll regret later on for a dose. You're the man for the job."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ange sat back down. "Go back to the _Ra-Cailum_," she said. "I need you making more defenses out there."

Ron left the office and the Admiral's headaches.

* * *

**Ron the True Fan: Well, kids, you know what time it is!**

**Takeshi Yamato: ME2 is now officially underway - and Shepard and Hitomi have both gotten upgrades. We've also picked up Garrus, Grunt, and Mordin.**

**117Jorn: Aye! And I'm here now, and next chapter we get Samara, Thane, and the Battle of Horizon begins! MUAHAHAHAHAH! :D**

**Ron the True Fan: Alright, people, you know the drill: don't like, don't read. Until next time...**

**All: Ja Ne!**


	7. Chapter 6: Assassins and Old Friends

**Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!**

**Takeshi Yamato: We also don't own Mass Effect, or anything else that might make a cameo in this story… what can I say, I love importing things from other franchises and tweaking them to fit the destination! It still belongs to whomever created it, though.**

**117Jorn: We just own our characters and their shit. HIT IT! :D**

* * *

_**Illium Spaceport**_

* * *

Shepard, Hitomi, Grunt, and Garrus exited the _Normandy_-A, entering the main Spaceport on Illium. Aircars were a common sight, but so were Class-6 shuttles. The Federation's presence was clearly felt here.

"Lots of Starfleet personnel here," Garrus remarked.

"Illium's an Asari world, so that figures," Hitomi replied. "Kind of surprised we didn't see Ron here: he's usually posted to Illium."

"He's likely either on the starbase up above, or moving to help build other facilities," Shepard speculated. "Still, he can't help us at this point - he's already said as much. I am kind of hopeful Takeshi will be able to help us at certain points, though - his ship's built for speed and power, like the _Normandy_."

"I hope so, too," Hitomi remarked.

"Captain Shepard?" Several men wearing Antares uniforms and carrying modified Avengers walked over to them, led by an Asari wearing a 2366-72 uniform. "I believe you are expected. Admiral Ushiromiya will want to speak with you before you leave, and there is a Liara T'Soni looking for you, as well."

"Thanks," Shepard replied. "I'll meet with each when I get a chance. Hopefully I can find a decent tailor, too - my old Starfleet Uniform was lost with the original _Normandy_."

"You'll find one on the starbase in orbit: most Starfleet personnel live there," one of the men informed. "Illium may be a Federation planet, but crime here, unlike in the other universe, is still rather high."

"We're working on it, though," the Asari replied.

"So I see," Shepard informed. "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander. We'll go see Miss T'Soni before we continue with our… mission."

"Before you leave, I will have to inform you that the Council has reinstated your Spectre status. Something about, quote, 'that bitch just won't die'."

Hitomi and Shepard looked at one another. "Ron," they said in unison.

"That does sound like something he'd say," Garrus agreed.

"Yeah," Shepard informed. "Anyway, let's check in with Liara, then see about finding that Justicar."

The group walked into an exchange, where there were several beings with massive ears trying to increase the prices of several items and mostly failing at it. "What the hell?" Shepard asked in shock.

"Ferengi," Garrus informed. "They're the other side's version of the Volus, only worse."

"Don't Volus give during times of great need?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes, but not the Ferengi," Garrus replied. "They have two rules out of over 150: war and peace are good for business."

"Bok, you've been told a dozen times that artificially inflating the credit exchange over here is illegal! Either stop or we'll have you deported back to Ferenganar!" The Ferengi in question snarled before Illium security personnel escorted him off the grounds.

"I can see they're not above jacking prices, either," Hitomi remarked.

"Believe me, besides the thing with the Reapers, the Ferengi were one of the reasons I left C-Sec," Garrus remarked.

They entered a building that their omnitools said was Liara's office. "Have you faced an Asari commando unit before?" she was saying as they walked in. "Few humans have and lived to tell about it. I would know: one of them assisted me once. If you don't have my money, I'll flay you alive. With my MIND."

"Didn't think THAT was possible." Hitomi remarked.

Liara turned. "Shepard! Hitomi!" she called out. "Nyxeris, hold my calls!" She hugged the two Spectres. "It's really you!"

"Whoa, Liara! Calm down!" Hitomi yelled.

"It's good to see you too, but I think you'll kill us AGAIN with this hug!" Shepard said.

Liara let go of them, walking to the window. "My sources told me you were alive, but it's good to see you," she said.

"Barely survived Omega and Kolrus, but yeah, we're alive," Shepard replied.

"Yes, I heard about that," Liara said. "The Blue Suns managed to kill the crew of a Klingon D7-Class ship and take control of it. Something about an 'Omega virus'."

"The plague on Omega-"

"Wasn't related to that: it's something from the other side," Liara said, "By the way, did you know my mother's now the Asari representative on the Federation Council?"

"Wow," Hitomi remarked. "Talk about a lot of responsibility… I guess they managed to fully deprogram the indoctrination."

"The Federation has a LOT of experience with that," Liara replied. "Did you know Captain LaForge was once kidnapped and controlled by the Romulan Tal Shiar in almost the same way 35 years ago?"

"No, but that explains a lot," Shepard informed.

Liara smiled. "Having access to the Federation database helps," she said. "It's also helped me here. Is there anything I can do for either of you? Weapons, information? A _Constitution_-Class starship?"

"Well, we have some Disruptor Rifles we picked up during our time on Omega, but we could likely use a few Phaser Rifles," Hitomi informed. "Some Photon Grenades would be good, too."

"We're also looking for a couple people," Shepard informed. "An Asari Justicar and a Drell Assassin. We're looking into the colony disappearances in the Terminus - a race known as the Collectors is behind it, likely with Reaper backing."

"I know," Liara replied. "I helped liberate your bodies from them."

"Wait, wait?" Shepard asked.

"Long story, not enough time to tell it," Liara informed. "Your assassin, Thane Krios, is likely after a minor Asari official that managed to, to quote our mutual friend Captain Pinkerton, 'piss off a lot of people'. The Justicar is also on Illium, tracking someone down. You may find her at the docks. Just be careful."

"Aren't we always?" Shepard asked.

"Shepard, you usually had Captain Pinkerton's help," Liara replied. "You might be good, but his weapons helped a great deal."

"Point taken," Shepard said. "We'll take care of ourselves."

* * *

The towers were half constructed, but a perfect hiding place for the most part. "So, our assassin is after the slave trader's sister," Garrus said. "What's the plan?"

"If he's after Nassana, we let him kill her and we'll recruit him after the job," Shepard replied. "We just need to make sure he's alive to be recruited."

Garrus summed up the plan. "So, kill every Eclipse merc in the tower that gets in the way and play aggro," he remarked.

"Pretty much," she answered, as Grunt smiled and cackled at that as they approached Dantius Tower two. Several Salarians were running from a group of LOKI and FENRIS mechs.

"Move!" Shepard shouted as she fired her disruptor rifle at the glass, breaking it and gaining the mechs' attention. Hitomi used a combination of pull and her Avenger to rip the mechs apart.

The Salarians looked at them gratefully. "She's got dozens of mercs in this tower," he said. "The rest of us are somewhere higher up! Help them, please!"

"We will," Hitomi replied. "In the meantime, get out of here!"

The Salarians got the hell out of there, running through the main entrance.

"So, we're going to be pissing off every merc in the building?" Garrus asked.

"Every merc in the building and probably then some," Shepard replied. "Come on, let's get going."

* * *

_**Penthouse suite, tower one**_

* * *

"This is the last fucking time I have to deal with that damned bitch!" Nassana watched the security feeds as Shepard and her team made their way through the building.

"You completely failed at your objective, Nassana."

The Asari looked at the man wearing a well-tailored and non-Starfleet uniform. He LOOKED Vulcan, if it weren't for the forehead ridge. "The Tal shiar isn't a fan of failure, Asari," he said.

"I didn't fail!" Nassana yelled. "Tell your bosses that I did exactly what I was told!"

He glanced at the security feed. "Clearly not, since you have a Starfleet captain shooting up the building."

Two Eclipse mercs fell from the building via a biotic push, one screaming as he fell.

"I-it's got to be a coincidence!" Nassana replied.

"Coincidence? I think not. You're on your own. The Empress sends her regards." The agent beamed out, leaving Nassana on her own.

"Oh, shit," Nassana muttered after he'd left. "Oh, SHIT!"

* * *

_**With Shepard and co**_

* * *

Shepard winced as she looked at some of the bodies. They looked like they were shot with disruptors, but these were cleaner than Klingon ones. Garrus examined the Eclipse merc's body. "Disruptor, alright: looks like a Type-3," The Turian said.

"You're an expert on alternate weapons now, Garrus?" Shepard asked, as he shrugged.

"I spent a year with Starfleet Security before going Archangel on everyone's ass," he said. "Type-3s are used by Klingons, Breen and Romulans, the last one usually being Imperial and Tal Shiar, as the Republic likes using plasma for the most part."

Shepard wondered how that worked before Garrus sighed. "It's Romulan: disruptor pistol at setting 6 or 7."

"So either our Assassin got hands on Romulan weaponry, or Nassana's working with the Tal Shiar," Hitomi remarked.

"Then we need to get to Nassana," Garrus informed. "If Thane tries to kill her and she's got a disruptor, he's dead."

"What if there's a Tal shiar ship nearby?" Hitomi asked.

Shepard tapped her helmet. "Joker, get in the air," she ordered. "Search for anything in orbit that's out of the ordinary: shimmers of light, gravity distorsions, anything."

"_Got it, Commander,_" he replied. "_We'll be in the air in 20 seconds or less._"

* * *

After a large running battle with Eclipse mercs and a LOT of mechs, the team finally entered Nassara's penthouse suite. "Shepard? Yamato?" She asked in shock, "But you're both dead!"

Both Spectres shrugged. "We got better," they both said at the same time.

"Why the hell are you here?" Nassana shouted.

"Maybe we missed you," Hitomi suggested with a smirk, before Nassara flipped them off.

"Screw you both," She shouted.

"Sorry, you're not my type." Shepard said, as Nassana pulled out a weapon: a clearly Romulan-designed disruptor pistol.

"First I ask you to kill my sister, and now you're here for me," Nassana said

"We're not here for you."

"Then who-" Someone dropped from the ceiling and began doing what was normally called a slaughterfest, killing the mercs before twisting Nassana's Romulan weapon out of her hands and shooting her with it.

"Nice work," Shepard said to the assassin.

The Drell simply stayed silent as he knelt before Nassana's now-cooling body. "Ex-" Hitomi began, but Shepard cut her off. "Don't bother: he's praying."

"Huh?"

"It's a religious thing for the Drell: praying for the soul of the wicked one who just died," she said, as Thane finally looked at the group.

"You have a grasp for the ways of other races, Captain." He said.

"It's something I picked up from a friend."

"Normandy _to Shepard,_" Joker said over the comm. "_We've got a problem._"

* * *

**Normandy** _**SR2 (AKA **_**Normandy**_**-A) - same time**_

* * *

Joker had found the odd thing, alright: a distortion near the L3 Lagrange point. "Ok, what the hell is this thing?"

"_A GARDIAN laser burst should reveal what it is._"

Joker scoffed at EDI's suggestion, but followed through. The burst wasn't powerful enough to fully reveal it, but it did do something. It destabilized the cloaking shields of a Romulan ship. "Holy SHIT!" he yelled. "That's a-"

"_I believe, Mr. Moreau, that is a _D'Deridex_-Class Romulan warbird._"

"No kidding!" he yelled. "Hang on tight, everyone!" He pulled the ship into a steep climb, avoiding a Disruptor burst from the Warbird. "_Normandy_ to Shepard," he called out. "We've got a problem."

"_Define a problem, Joker,_" Shepard requested.

"A big romulan warbird! _D'Deridex_-Class, heading for the relay at impulse power!"

"_Try and slow it down!_" Shepard ordered. "_Don't let it escape!_"

The _Normandy_ chased the warbird, firing its' weapons at the warbird, which fired back with its' disruptors.

Joker snap-rolled to port, evading the disruptor fire before opening up with the Phaser Cannons, and a volley of Photon Torpedoes. "Gotta love having Starfleet tech," he remarked. "Still, doubt we can take on that thing all by ourselves."

Three quantum torpedoes hit the D'deridex's aft shields, coming from another ship. "Ra-Cailum _to _Normandy," Ron informed. "_Focus fire on the warbird's port nacelle. The shields will be weaker there._"

"Thanks, Cap!" Joker replied as the SR2 fired on the spot indicated, but the warbird had a friend: A _Norexan_-class warbird, _Mogai_ refit, decloaked and fired on the Cerberus-built frigate.

"Oh, shit!" Joker yelled as he rolled to evade.

"_Mr. Moreau, we lack the armament to directly engage a _Norexan_-Class warbird,_" EDI informed.

"Tell me something I don't know!" Joker yelled.

However, a massive volley of Phaser Cannon fire slammed into the _Norexan_'s aft, taking down its shields before a volley of Quantum Torpedoes slammed into the hull, penetrating deep enough to destroy the Singularity Core, destroying the _Norexan_.

"Raging Tempest _to _Normandy!" Takeshi's voice called out as the _Sao Paulo_-Class ship swooped in. "_We've got your backs!_"

"Ra-Cailum _to all ships,_" Ron ordered. "_Target that _D'Deridex! _We can't let it escape!_" The Romulan warbird made contact with the relay, jumping to another system before they could catch up. "_Damn it!_"

"_I received a message from the warbird before it escaped,_" EDI informed. "_Text only. It reads 'The Reapers will be our tools, and you cannot stop us'._"

Takeshi sighed. "_Great…_" he muttered. "_So rather than Borg Tech, the Tal Shiar's going after Reaper tech now. Borg Tech's bad enough, but with Reaper tech, there's the chance of indoctrination - Kinda hopeful the Tal Shiar don't become slaves to the Reapers, even though that's the likely outcome._"

"_My life. Sucks,_" Ron muttered. "_I'm heading back to the starbase to inform the Admiral. She's not going to be happy._" The _Ra-Cailum_ turned back toward Starbase Apophis, likely not to be seen for a time.

"Commander, that odd thing you asked me to find?" Joker asked. "Turned out to be a Romulan warbird, probably owned by the Tal Shiar. We tried stopping it, but it had an eezo core: it jumped to another system using the mass relay."

"_Well, we were kind of expecting it,_" Shepard replied. "_We found Romulan Disruptors here, likely Tal Shiar Models. Wish you could have stopped it, though._"

"We're on our way back now," Joker said. "Any luck?"

"_We found our assassin,_" Shepard informed. "_He'll wait at the port for the ship to land. We're on our way to the docks now to find our Justicar._"

"Got it, Commander," Joker replied. "See you real soon."

* * *

**Starbase Apophis - 45 minutes later**

* * *

"You're telling me the Tal Shiar are in this universe?" Ange asked.

"Well, with the Romulan Republic being public allies with the Quarians, it's the only option, Admiral," Ron replied.

Ange planted her head on the desk in an almost anime style. She was a rather unique officer, having rose through the ranks so fast that most personnel didn't take her seriously. That was probably why Command posted the 24-year old woman here. "Please tell me you have a lead," she said.

"Perhaps," Ron informed. "Legion has tracked a signal to the Typhon system in the Phoenix Massing, so that's a start."

"Investigate it," she replied. "Tal Shiar are bad enough - Tal Shiar with Reaper Tech, or heaven forbid, _**indoctrinated**_ Tal Shiar, are likely going to be even worse."

"Considering that we're analyzing Reaper technology and none of our scientists have been indoctrinated, I think the former is more likely than the latter," Ron informed. "I'd like to take Captain Yamato with me. Two ships against the Tal Shiar on this side: it'll be like old times."

"Just don't do anything that will get me in deep shit, Captain," Ange replied. "You losing your commission is bad enough. I don't want to spend the next decade in a penal colony."

"I'll do what I need to, ma'am." Ron walked out of the office, leaving Ange to wonder if she did the right thing by rising through the ranks so fast.

* * *

_**Illium surface**_

* * *

"Was kinda shocked at the lengths the Justicar Code drives one of them to do as they pursue a goal," Hitomi remarked after they had recruited the Justicar, Samara. "She was ready to fight her way out of custody, just to keep pursuing this individual."

"We got her in the end, though," Shepard replied, before a ping was heard over the PA.

"_Captain Shepard, please report to terminal B,_" came the announcement. "_Repeat, Captain Shepard, terminal B._"

"There was no avoiding this part," Hitomi remarked. "This Admiral Ushiromiya might not like who we're working with."

"Hopefully he or she will be understanding, though," Shepard replied as they headed over towards terminal B.

When they arrived, several Starfleet officers were waiting for them. "Captain Shepard," the lead one said. "We're here to escort you to Admiral Ushiromiya's office on the starbase."

"Of course," Shepard replied. "Shall we?"

* * *

_**Starbase **_**Apophis** _**- Office of Admiral Ange Ushiromiya**_

* * *

Ange was signing off on several reports, trying to make sense of the Tal Shiar's presence in this universe.

"_Admiral, Captain Shepard is here,_" informed her secretary from the other side of the door to her office.

"Send her in," Ange informed.

Shepard walked in, wearing a new Starfleet Uniform she'd obtained from a tailor, and Hitomi accompanied her, followed by Garrus and a Krogan.

"Captain Nicole Shepard, reporting as requested, Ma'am," Shepard informed as she stood at attention and saluted.

"Lose the salute, captain," Ange replied. "Starfleet rarely does that. It's a formality that fell out of favor in the late 22nd Century." She stood up, walking around the desk. "I'm Admiral Ange Ushiromiya. Think of me as Admiral Quinn's counterpart on this side. Now, we have a problem, captain, and that problem… is you."

"Me, Ma'am?" Shepard asked, curious.

Ange picked up a mug of tea and drank from it. "Records from the _Ayalde_ say you two are dead," she said. "KIA, Captain. So, imagine my surprise when Captain Pinkerton tells me you two were alive and well. DNA scans say you're the real ones, and not clones. So..." She sat on top of her desk. "Care to tell me where the hell you two have been for the past two years?"

The two sighed, then explained everything that had happened after their deaths, from their perspectives.

"A rogue organization brought you back from the dead to fight the Reapers," Ange said. "Have you stopped to think they just want to try and control the damn things, and they're just using you to get to that goal?"

"It's a possibility, we know," Shepard replied. "We don't fully trust Cerberus either, Admiral - we'll use them for as long as our goals coincide, but we'll cut ties once the threat of the Collectors has been dealt with."

"We're also kinda hopeful we can get the majority of the crew away from Cerberus," Hitomi informed. "The crew seems like the right kind of people mixed up in the wrong sort of business - we might be able to convince them to break when we do."

"Do what you can, Captain," Ange replied. "Your orders are simple: don't do anything to assist Cerberus in any efforts to control the Reapers and harness their technology. If you can convince your team to defect to the Alliance, do so at first opportunity." A cackle was heard outside the office, followed by a scream. "Beato's at it again."

"Who's Beato?" Shepard asked.

"My sister-in-law," Ange replied. "My brother, Battler, is captain of the _Thessaly_, a Galaxy-Class ship assigned to the Turian border. They love each other, but they drive each other mad at the same time."

Shepard blinked. "Well, that's… interesting," she said. "Though that does remind me of something…" She walked up to Ange and leaned close to the Admiral. "Do you know a good jewelry store, either here or on the surface?" she whispered into Ange's ear. "I'd like to get a… special gift for Hitomi, but want to keep it a surprise until she gets it."

"There's one on the starbase," Ange informed. "There's a Cardassian named Tolar Rigle. Tell him I sent you. Dismissed, Captain."

"Thanks," Shepard replied as she backed away, then they left the office. "Hitomi, I have something I need to take care of. Think you can handle yourself for a bit? We can meet up in our room for dinner."

Hitomi smiled. "Sure. We'll see you back on the Normandy."

* * *

_**Aite**_

* * *

Ron and Delta Squad beamed into the Cerberus facility, with Legion at the rear. "You said there was something on this planet, Legion?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Legion replied. "Research facility run by Cerberus. detected large numbers of Geth signals from here."

Marcus Fenix, Delta Actual, scoffed, and said, "Idiots."

"_An…ne the…?_" a voice asked over a staticy radio. "_Ca…nyo…ear this?_"

Ron tapped his commbadge. "This is Captain Ronald Pinkerton. Please identify yourself."

"_Pink…?_" the voice asked. "_Won…Destroy the…sh! Please!_"

"Sounds like he wants us to blow up that satellite dish," Marcus remarked.

"Agreed," Ron replied. "Santiago, Carmine, scout ahead. Legion, go with them. Cole, Fenix, Baird, you're with me."

They all nodded, and set forth, weapons all drawn and at the ready.

"You know, seeing a big dish makes me wonder why we used to have to build things like that," Baird remarked.

"Baird, we're on the clock," Ron reminded.

The two men and Geth scouted ahead, followed more slowly by Ron and his team. "Looks like someone had fun here," Marcus remarked.

When they entered the main holding, there were signs of fighting all over the place, including a burn mark near the entrance. "_Over here!_" the voice said again. "_On the monitor._"

There was a man on the monitor's image, and apparently a camera on the monitor, because when they got close enough, he said, "_Ah, there you are - good to finally see you, Captain Pinkerton - practically the whole galaxy's heard about you by now._"

"Who the hell are you?"

"_Doctor Gavin Archer,_" came the reply. "_I'm the head scientist here. I need your help to destroy the dish: there's a rogue VI here, and it's trying to escape._"

"Good thing you people still don't use subspace communications. It can't escape on the _Ra-Cailum,_" Ron said as he tapped his commbadge. "Pinkerton to _Ra-Cailum_: there's a satellite dish down here. I need you to blow it the hell up."

"_We have it locked on, sir,_" Corpsa replied. "_Phasers ready._"

"Fire."

The ground shook briefly as a Phaser beam lanced down from on high, nailing the dish dead center and destroying it.

"_That's only going to slow it down, Captain,_" Archer informed. "_Meet up with me, but watch out: there are a lot of Geth down here._"

"So my friend here tells me," Ron replied. "We'll make short work of them and meet up with you."

* * *

_**Starbase **_**Apophis**

* * *

'_So many designs, so little time,_' Shepard thought as she tried to pick out a particular ring to get.

"Can I help you, Captain?" asked a Cardassian male that walked up to her.

"Admiral Ushiromiya sent me down here," Shepard replied. "She told me to find a Cardassian named Tolar Rigle."

The Cardassian pressed a hand on his chest. "You have found him. What can I do for a friend of the Admiral?"

"I'm looking for a ring," she said. "I have a… a really good friend, who's been by my side for years. I want something to… to show her just how much I care for her…"

"Say no more. I will find you want you need," Tolar said as he walked toward a computer, making a selection of rings.

"I don't think I've heard of the Cardassians being members of the Federation," Shepard remarked.

"We aren't," Tolar replied. "After the Dominion War, we downsized our military, and most of us were jobless. I lost family in Lakarian City when those Jem'Hadar bastards bombed it. But you probably know about that from your lessons at Starfleet Academy."

She winced. "Actually, I… I never went to the Academy," she said. "I was born in this universe. My name's Shepard. Nicole Shepard… perhaps you might have heard some of the stories…?"

"Ah, the Spectre," Tolar remarked. "Aren't you dead?"

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Shepard replied.

Tolar chuckled. "Don't we all wish," he said. "I believe I have found a small selection of rings for you. Pick one, or if you're not happy, I can always find or custom design one."

She looked at the selection, eventually spotting a golden band, with a small octagonal-faceted ruby on the top. "That one," she said, pointing to it.

"A wonderful choice," Tolar replied. "I can get it to you now via a replicator, or I can make it by hand."

"Which option would allow me to have it by tonight?" Shepard asked. "I was planning on giving it to her during dinner."

"I'll have to replicate it, then," Tolar remarked. "It will only take but a moment." He walked over to a replicator station, inputting the selection. "I can make a proper wedding ring for you by hand if you want later on." The replicator deposited the ring onto a specially made mount, which Tolar removed it from and gave to Shepard.

"Thanks," she replied as she took the box. "I might take you up on that next time I come to Illium."

"Have a pleasant day!" Tolar called out as she left.

* * *

_**Aite**_

* * *

"Dom, have I ever mentioned that I hate Geth?" Marcus asked.

"Uh, yeah. About a dozen times now, Marcus," Dom replied.

While the team had beaten the living crap out of the Geth, and freed Archer's brother from the core, Ron was currently screaming bloody murder while shooting at the man in question.

"Damn, what pissed him off?" Dom asked.

"Cerberus pissed him off," Marcus informed. "Let's get the hell out of here before he turns what's left of the base into a crater."

By the time Delta got out of the base, Ron had blown up half of it. the rest of the base soon collapsed into a pile of rubble.

"Damn, he's got issues," Dom remarked.

"Don't I know it," Ron said as they looked to their left to see him, dirty, but alive. "_Ra-Cailum_, beam us up," he said. "I need to talk to Shepard."

* * *

**Normandy** _**SR2 (AKA **_**Normandy**_**-A)**_

* * *

Shepard and Hitomi were having dinner together in the captain's cabin, which made sense, given that they shared the cabin. "Still kinda shocked that they put in such a big room for the Captain," Hitomi remarked. "I mean, you see it on some of the larger Starfleet ships, but they can afford the space."

"Cerberus spared no expense, clearly," Shepard replied, then slightly blushed before reaching for the ring she had hidden. "Hitomi, I need to ask you something."

Hitomi blinked. "Uh… go ahead, Nicole," she replied.

Shepard got up from the table, walking over to Hitomi. "Hitomi, we've been through a lot together," she said. "Training, the Blitz, becoming Spectres, the hunt for Saren… hell, we're likely the only two people who can say we died and were brought back to life together."

Hitomi chuckled a bit at that last one.

"I… I love you so much, Hitomi," Shepard continued. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, I need to ask…" she got down on one knee, presenting the ring. "Will you marry me?"

Hitomi jumped Shepard, so that was probably a yes. "YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!" Make that definitely a yes.

Before they did anything else, however, the curse of bad timing struck again. "_Commander, we've got a call from two people: the Illusive Man and Captain Pinkerton,_" Joker informed. "_I figured you'd want - Are you two making out again?_"

Shepard sighed. "Not quite, Joker, but close," she said. "And thank you for the information. We'll talk with Ron first. We'll be at the Comm room shortly."

"_Send pictures!_" Joker called out.

"FUCK YOU!" Shepard and Hitomi yelled in unison.

* * *

A few minutes later, both women stood in the comm room, where the table had lowered itself in order to use the holographic projector. Ron's image, slightly hazy, appeared seconds later. "_Shepard, I - were you two in the middle of something?_" he asked.

"What is it with you people and saying that?!" Shepard yelled.

"_Sorry,_" Ron replied. "_I thought you should know that I just shut down something called Project Overlord. You'd better finish that shit with the Illusive Man, because I am SERIOUSLY getting tired of their inhuman experiments!_"

Shepard sighed. But then an idea came to mind. "EDI," she said. "Can the QEC allow for three-way communications?"

"_We can, but the lockouts are-_"

"_To hell with the lockouts,_" Ron replied. "_I can bypass them. Put the asshole through._"

Ron's image faded, replaced with the Illusive Man. "_Shepard, we've caught a break,_" he said.

"_And I've caught you, fuckface,_" Ron said as his image appeared beside Shepard's. "_Surprise._"

"_I didn't think THIS was possible,_" the Illusive Man informed. "_I wasn't expecting you, Captain._"

"_No one expects the Spanish Inquisition,_" Ron replied, causing Shepard and Hitomi to laugh while the Illusive Man had a pained expression on his face.

"Ron called us at the same time you did," Shepard informed with a grin. "I decided to talk to him first, and after hearing he had grievances to voice to you regarding something called 'Project Overlord', I thought we might make it a three-way, so he can… vent."

The Illusive Man paled. Ron was known for three things other than being overly lethal in combat. He had one hell of a pair of lungs, a lot of languages were at his disposal, and he had photographic memory.

"_So, asshole,_" Ron began, "_care to tell me WHY you decided to use a young man's mind and HOOK IT UP TO A GETH COLLECTIVE?! WHAT IN THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, AUTHORIZING THAT?! I THOUGHT CERBERUS WAS HUMANITY-FIRST!_"

"_I wanted results, Cap-_" the Illusive Man tried to explain.

"_NOT FUCKING GOOD ENOUGH!_" Ron yelled. "_I FORWARDED MY REPORT, AND GUESS WHAT THE FEDERATION COUNCIL'S LABELLED YOUR ORGANIZATION, RETARD?!_"

"_I assume you're about to tell me,_" the Illusive Man replied.

Ron coughed into his hand. "_Quote, 'a sickening hybrid of the Maquis, the Obsidian Order and the Tal Shiar',_" he said. "_The Maquis were terrorists, just attacking Cardassian settlements just because they were too stubborn to move or give up their Federation citizenship. The Obsidian Order? They're still around, in the form of the True Way, and they're thugs of the worst order. At least I tried to help people during my time here. And the Tal Shiar are all about controlling their people. And you're worse than all three._"

Shepard grinned. "Illusive Man, I think this is the last time we'll be speaking to each other," she said. "If you have info for us, you might as well share it now."

"_This won't be the last time, Shepard,_" the Illusive Man replied. "_Be sure of that. The Collectors are attacking Horizon. Get there and stop them._"

"_Thanks for the tip,_" Ron remarked. "_I'll be sure to mention that at your trial… Harper._" His image faded, leaving the Illusive Man gaping.

"_HOW THE HELL DID HE KNOW?!_" he demanded. "_I ERASED EVERY TRACE!_"

"Never underestimate Ron, or Starfleet Intelligence for that matter," Shepard replied. "Goodbye, Harper. Joker, lose this channel."

The Illusive Man, or rather Jack Harper's, image faded away seconds later. "Let's check in with Mordin," Hitomi remarked. "We're going to need that seeker countermeasure."

"Might as well let the rest of the crew know about this, too," Shepard said. "That way they can decide whether to stick with us and leave Cerberus, or stay with Cerberus and get the hell off the ship."

As they headed for the Relay, the crew unanimously chose to abandon Cerberus.

* * *

_**Illium orbit**_

* * *

Four Federation starships hung in a loose formation: the _Sovereign_-Class USS _Ra-Cailum_ NCC-94517, the _Ambassador_-Class USS _Ayalde_ NCC-89164, the _Constitution_-Class USS _Athens_ NCC-95748 and the _Sao Paulo_-Class USS _Raging Tempest_ NCC-108597. "_Ok, children, I assume you know where we're going?_" Ron asked.

"Horizon," Takeshi replied. "A stroke of good intelligence means the Collectors are going to be there - that, or Cerberus has placed bait to draw them there."

"_Is there anything we need to know, Captain?_" the Captain of the _Ayalde_ asked.

"_Captain Shepard and the _Normandy _SR2 will be there to try and rescue the colonists,_" Ron informed. "_Our job is to mop up the Collector ship and disable the damn thing: the Admiral wants intel on these assholes, and I plan to give it to her._"

"Roger," Takeshi replied. "Hopefully after this we can give the _Normandy_ a repaint - get rid of the Cerberus logos, maybe add some Federation Insignia and a Starfleet Registry… It's practically a Starfleet Ship already, given the stolen tech Cerberus used to make her - might as well finish the conversion."

"_Amen to that,_" Ron replied. "_All ships, set course for the relay. Our next stop is Horizon._" The task force headed for the relay, then straight for the colony world in question.

* * *

_**Horizon - colony**_

* * *

It was looking to be an average, ordinary day on Horizon - though for two former soldiers, things were still somewhat busy as they prepared for what would be the most hectic day of their lives.

Their wedding.

"I know you don't want me wearing armor, Kaidan, but this is a fringe colony," the woman said. "I'm not going without protection."

"That's not what you said the first time," Kaidan Alenko said with a slight grin.

Ashley Williams, soon to be Ashley Alenko, blushed at the double entente. "KAIDAN!" she yelled.

"Relax. I just want us to have a normal wedding," Kaidan replied. "We've been through a lot in the past two years."

She sighed. "Yeah, that we have," she said. "Feels like it was just yesterday when we confessed our feelings to each other on the way to Ilos."

"That it does." Before the pair could kiss, one of the colonists ran over. "Lieutenant! Sergeant! you need to come see this!"

Both reservists (they were on reserve standby in case the shit met the fan. Again) groaned before following the colonist, Lilith, outside. "What is-" Kaidan began, before a massive cloud got their attention. "Ash?"

"Armor, now," Ashley replied, before barking out, "EVERYONE, GET IN THE SHELTERS!"

The other colonists booked it for the Shelters, as Kaidan and Ashley ran back into their house to grab their respective sets of armor. "Glad Starfleet managed to give us some of their Personal Shield Generators," Kaidan remarked as he strapped his armor on. "Much better than the Kinetic Barriers."

"At least these things keep everything out!" Ashley replied as she sealed her helmet.

* * *

**Normandy** _**SR2 (AKA **_**Normandy**_**-A)**_

* * *

"We're approaching Horizon," Joker reported.

"We are detecting a large ship on the surface," EDI informed. "Scans indicate the ship is the same one that destroyed this ships' predecessor."

Shepard smirked. "Payback time, right Joker?" she asked.

"Fuck yes!" Joker replied. "The second that thing tries to leave, I'm on it like a dog with a bone!"

"And the Starfleet Ships will be waiting to help," Hitomi added. "Let's get down there, right Nicole?"

Shepard nodded. "Garrus, Mordin, Grunt, Zaeed, Kasumi, report to the shuttle," she said. "Miranda, Jacob, you're staying up here - you still have Cerberus insignia on your uniforms/armor, and I don't want anyone down there thinking we're with those terrorists."

"Amen to that," Jacob replied. "I only joined them because they were doing something."

Miranda's head was slightly hung in shame, but she simply nodded before walking away, heading for her office.

"Samara and Thane will stay as well - we'll keep them in reserve for now," Shepard informed. "Let's move out."

* * *

A shuttle landing later, the team was on the surface, fully armed. "The seeker countermeasure will confuse, but can be overwhelmed by massive swarm," Mordin was briefing.

"That a limit on what you can do?" Hitomi asked.

"Technological limit," Mordin replied. "Cerberus stole 50 year old technology from Starfleet."

"Oh, Ron, you're GOOD," Shepard remarked. "Come on, let's save the colonists."

The team nodded, and then stepped out of the shuttle, heading out into the colony.

The seeker swarms were out in full force, but they were no problem, focused more on the colonists. "This is our first tangle with these assholes besides them blowing the _Normandy_ to hell," Hitomi remarked. "We have no idea what we're fighting down here."

"We've got better guns," Zaeed replied. "Fuck 'em up."

"And once more, Zaeed's got the right idea," Shepard informed. "You see anything that doesn't look familiar, shoot it."

"Got it," Hitomi replied, hefting her new Phaser Rifle. "OK, got Full Auto and Pulsewave settings ready to go, and I'm looking forward to testing out the grenade launcher attachment."

First contact with the enemy didn't take long as they discovered insect-like humanoids harvesting the frozen colonists. "Does that count as unfamiliar?" Garrus asked.

"I'd say so," Shepard replied.

A voice echoed from one of the insectoids. "_**ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL.**_" The drone glowed and became more upright and began directing the rest of the Collectors.

"Great!" Shepard yelled. "Take cover!"

The team scattered and took cover as the Collectors turned and started firing at them. Shepard popped up and launched a Sniper Bolt from her Phaser Rifle, vaporizing a Collector. "Looks like they don't have a defense against Phasers!" she yelled out.

"Of course they don't!" Garrus yelled. "They never developed deflector shielding!"

The Collectors continued to fire on the team, but the team's superior coordination and training began to turn the tide, forcing the Collectors to fall back.

"Goddamn bugs," Zaeed remarked.

"That's something the Rachni are," Garrus informed. "These things… aren't bugs."

Shepard approached one of the bodies. "These things look familiar in a way," she said.

"Not to me," Hitomi replied. "Though, perhaps they look similar to something you saw in the past, Nicole."

"Maybe," Shepard conceded.

"_Pinkerton to Shepard,_" Ron's voice said. "_Nicole, can you hear me?_"

Shepard chuckled. "Loud and clear, Ron," she said. "Where are you?"

"In orbit," he replied. "We've detected a ship on the ground: is it the Collector ship?"

She grinned. "It is," she said. "And it's also the one that destroyed the original _Normandy_."

"_When that thing takes off, we're going to disable it,_" Ron replied. "_Admiral Ushiromiya wants any and all intel she can get from that ship. I intend to get it._"

"We'll volunteer for the boarding action," Hitomi informed. "We owe them for two years ago."

"_Consider yourself drafted,_" Ron replied. "_Do what you can on the ground. Pinkerton out._"

"Let's get to work, people," Shepard ordered. "Clear out the Collectors and make sure the colonists are safe. We need to get that thing to take off, and the best way is to knock out enough Collectors that it decides to retreat."

"So, kill everything and use the GARDIAN batteries to damage the big bastard. What about-"

"_-anyone out there?!_" came over the radio. "_This is Lieutenant Kai-ko! My partn-please respond!_"

"Kaidan!" Shepard yelled. "Everyone, hone in on the source of that signal! Double-time it! Kaidan, help's on the way, hang tight!"

* * *

_**With Kaidan and Ashley**_

* * *

"_-ang tight!_" the couple looked at one another as a huge number of husks swarmed toward their position.

"Was that just me, or did that sound like Shepard?" Kaidan asked.

"Adrenaline's getting to us," Ashley replied as they began picking off their attackers one by one using their respective weapons, but the numbers were too great, not to mention the bug… things. "Damn it!"

A large number of phaser and disruptor bolts hit the husks, vaporizing them.

"Hey, guys," said an eerily familiar voice. "Been a while."

The two turned, seeing Shepard _**and**_ Hitomi, with Garrus, a Salarian, a Krogan, and two other Humans.

"Shepard?" Kaidan asked. "Is that… really you?"

"Back from the dead," Shepard replied. "It's a long story, but Cerberus brought us back from the dead. Then they decided to do something stupid and pissed off Ron. We left them hanging."

"What the hell-" Ashley began, before a screech got their attention as something looking a lot like a bunch of husks fused into an abomination of some kind. "Oh, shit."

"We can catch up later," Hitomi replied. "Let's take these things down - just like old times, eh?"

"Just like old times!" They fired at the abomination, which Shepard privately coined a scion, dumping as much fire into it as they could. It seemed resistant to all forms of weapons fire, but it wasn't invincible, as grunt proved when he jumped onto the monster and began tearing it apart with his bare hands.

"Kaidan, Ashley, get that GARDIAN online!" Shepard ordered. "We need that ship off the ground!"

"On it!" they called out as they headed for the turret.

"Hook it into the Normandy's comm system!" Shepard called. "We can use EDI to control the guns!"

"Who the hell is EDI?!"

"Long story!"

The two Alliance officers got to work, accessing the remote comms and allowing the Normandy to take control. "_GARDIAN turrets online_," EDI called out. "_Firing at will._"

The turrets fired on the Collector ship, and it began to take off. "_Ra-Cailum_, it's taking off!" Shepard informed.

"_We noticed!_" Ron replied. "_All ships, lock phasers! Wait, another ship's entering the system._"

"What kind of ship is it?" Shepard asked.

"_Loose link to Cerberus, but they're not allied with the bastards now,_" Ron said as the Collector ship exited the atmosphere. "Hercules_, this is Captain Pinkerton: stand down! We're going to disable - _Hercules_, cease fire! We're going to board the damn thing after we disable it!_"

"Hercules _to Captain Pinkerton: That's exactly what we're here to do,_" A male voice responded. "_Guns! Target the engines and that primary weapon of theirs so they can't fight back!_"

* * *

In space, the _Hercules_ opened fire on the Collector Cruiser, unleashing a hail of Disruptor-like beams of energy upon the Collector ship, targeting the aft and stern ends of the ship. The beams hit the engines, resulting in a brilliant explosion as the vessel began to fall back down into the skies. It attempted to fire its weapon, however another volley of weapons tore it to pieces.

"Lock Tractor beams, and lower her to the ground," Jaden said. "Don't want her to crash and burn just yet, put her down gently. Get the Shock Troopers and Titan's ready for deployment - I doubt they'll let us take that ship without a fight once she's grounded."

"_Negative: get that thing into orbit!_" Ron ordered. "_The LAST thing we need is the collectors leaving that ship en masse!_"

"I'm pretty sure we can prevent that from happening," Jaden said with a shrug. "But, you're in command for this operation I suppose - bringing her up into orbit."

The Collector ship was ready for boarding, and all they needed now was to get the team onto it. "_Shepard, this is Pinkerton: we're locking onto you and your team to beam you onto that ship. Just make sure that none of those colonists are dead from Takeo's excessive fire._"

"_Hey! We've scanned that damn thing before we fired, the engines and weapons were FAR away from the Colonist's life signs!_"

"_Understood,_" Shepard replied. "_We've got a couple of reservists on the ground here who want to join in - you probably remember them, too: it's Kaidan and Ashley._"

"_I remember. Weren't they flirting after Virmire? Never mind. Energizing._"

* * *

_**Collector cruiser**_

* * *

Shepard and her team, plus Kaidan and Ashley, remateralized inside the Collector ship, although they were rather far from anything important. "_Sorry, Shepard,_" Ron informed. "_It seems transporters and mass effect fields don't mix. If we beamed you into the area with the largest cluster of lifesigns, you'd never rematerialize properly. We have ENOUGH problems with transporters as is._"

"It's fine," Shepard replied. "We'll get those fields shut down as soon as possible. Moving in now."

"Disable the field generators and you can destroy this ship?" Hitomi asked.

"_Takeshi's prepared a large number of quantum torpedoes to do just that,_" Ron said. "_I've also armed six tricobalt torpedoes to finish the job._"

"Overkill is something you love, isn't it?" Shepard asked.

"_Shepard, I spend time with Krogan,_" Ron replied. "_That's a stupid question._"

The group shook their heads as their moved deeper into the ship, with Garrus looking upwards at a few holes in the hull that were rather distant. "The mass effect fields aren't that powerful near the outer hull," he said. "How are they keeping the atmosphere in?"

Hitomi pointed at the answer, which was visible through one of the holes: the _Athens_. "They probably extended their shields to cover up the breaches," she said. "I think the _Enterprise_-D did that once."

"Let's get this done quick," Shepard replied. "We need to rescue the colonists, and pull as much data from this thing's computers as possible - if we can find out how they get through the Omega-4 Relay, we can develop a strategy for hitting them at their base."

A pile of weapons, probably taken from the other colonies, was spotted near a junction. One of them was an M76 Revenant, a nasty light machine gun with a fairly large ammo count. Another weapon was the infamous M-98 Widow anti-material rifle. One shot would do one of three things: kill the target, break your arm or just rip it off completely. The last weapon was a largely discontinued shotgun, used mostly by Krogan: the M-300 Claymore. "So many guns, so little time," Hitomi said as she lifted up one of the Revenant LMGs. "Looks to be mostly intact. And it's loaded."

Shepard grabbed a Widow, and both took a Claymore off the ground. "I don't think we can actually use these things, but better safe than sorry," She said, as Ashley grabbed another Revenant off the ground.

"Better than the damn Avenger," she said, while Mordin walked ahead, seeing a pod with a dead Collector inside.

"Shepard, need to take a look at this."

Shepard walked over to Mordin. "What is it?" she asked.

"Collector inside pod," Mordin informed. "Dead."

"Well, Ron wants intel on the collectors," Shepard informed. Might as well take a look at the bodies, too. EDI?"

Mordin linked his omnitool to the Collector ship's computer.

"_I am beginning data-mining,_" EDI informed. "_The Collectors appear to have been doing genetic comparisons between themselves and humanity. I am also detecting a DNA match in our databases._"

"A match to what?" Hitomi asked.

"_The Collectors have a quad-strand DNA structure,_" EDI replied. "_According to research, there is only one race with that, and they were killed off fifty thousand years ago._"

Shepard's eyes widened. "You're saying that the Collectors are Protheans?" she asked.

"_Pinkerton to Shepard,_" Ron informed. "_We've looked at the data, and I think we can safely say they aren't Protheans. Three chromosomes have been removed, several sequences were just removed, among other things. Someone rewrote the bastards' DNA so badly they can't be considered Protheans anymore._"

"Still, this explains what happened to them," Hitomi remarked. "The Reapers just… repurposed them into the Collectors."

"_Regardless of what they _were_, what they _are _is genocidal servants of the Reapers now,_" Ron said. "_Get any intel you can from the computers, disable those generators and we'll get all of you out safely._"

"Understood," Shepard replied as she hefted her new Widow. "Let's move, people!"

* * *

After fifteen minutes, Shepard was getting tired of seeing the Collector ship's interior. "Ron, can't you just hack into the computers from your end?" she asked. "You've got a more powerful computer than we do."

"_What we don't have is an AI that can do the job,_" Ron informed. "_Our computers use something akin to VIs, only a bit less dumbed down. EDI's a full on AI-_"

"How you Starfleet people keep learning this, I'll never know-"

"_And thus our best chance to get in and out,_" Ron finished.

A central hive, full of pods, was their final destination. "_The access node is here, Shepard,_" EDI informed. "_Access it and I will begin datamining operations. I may not be able to shut down the mass effect fields, however._"

"I assume you've got a backup plan?" Shepard asked.

"_Captain Pinkerton's weapons are pinpoint accurate,_" EDI replied. "_A phaser strike from any of the Starfleet ships may be able to disable the generators._"

"Right," Hitomi said. "Ron, did you get that?"

"_We heard,_" Ron said. "_Get the intel from the computers, and we'll make sure you can make a clean escape._"

"Roger that," Shepard replied as she moved to the access node, activating her Omni-Tool and allowing EDI access.

After a few seconds, Joker's voice was heard. "_That can't be good._"

"What's going on, Joker?" Shepard asked. "_I just saw a… big bug thing._"

"_Jeff is correct,_" EDI informed. "_The Collectors are attempting to counterhack my systems. I have acquired some useful data, but I need more time._"

"We'll get you that time, EDI," Shepard informed. At that point, a swarm of Collectors began approaching them.

One of the Collectors glowed and changed into one of the ones seen on Horizon. "Oh, crap," Shepard remarked. "Harbinger's hijacked another Collector!"

"Who the hell is Harbinger?" Hitomi asked.

"I don't know how I know!" Shepard replied. "I just do!"

The Collector - Harbinger - began directing the other Collectors' actions, all of which were generally to make Shepard's life suck. "_**YOUR FORM IS FRAGILE, SHEPARD,**_" it said. "_**I WILL BREAK YOU.**_"

"_Upload is 50% complete,_" EDI informed.

Shepard fired the Widow at Harbinger, eating through the biotic barrier and chipping away at the armor. It also dislocated her shoulder. "Damn it!"

"_**WE ARE THE HARBINGER OF YOUR ASCENSION,**_" Harbinger informed. "_**EMBRACE YOUR ASCENSION.**_"

"Try ascending through _this_, asshole!" Hitomi yelled as she fired off a burst of fire from her Revenant, in conjunction with a Sniper Bolt from Garrus' Phaser Rifle.

"_75% complete,_" EDI informed.

"_Shepard, I know I'm being a bit antsy here-_" Ron began.

"You're just worried about us!" Shepard replied. "We know! Standby to take out the generators!"

The Harbinger Collector died, but another drone transformed into a Harbinger-controlled Collector seconds later. "_**WE ARE THE HARBINGER OF YOUR SALVATION. ACCEPT YOUR SALVATION.**_"

Garrus shut it up with a phaser beam set to maximum, vaporizing it. "I hate these things."

"Agreed," Hitomi replied. "EDI! How's the download coming!"

"_100%,_" EDI informed. "_Captain, fire at will._"

"_Music to my ears,_" Ron replied. "_All ships, standby to begin mass beam out._" The Collector ship rocked slightly as the _Ra-Cailum_ hit the eezo core, and the gravity suddenly disappeared. "_Locking on all non-Collector lifesigns. Energizing._"

The _Normandy_ Team and all the colonists vanished from the Collector ship in swirling columns of blue light.

* * *

_**RMV **_**Hercules**

* * *

"_Commander Takeo, NOW you can go weapons free._" Ron said. "_All ships, fire at will!_"

Jaden smirked "All we need is one shot," he said. "Arm the Railgun… Captain, tell me - have you ever seen what happens to a ship when it gets hit by a 600 ton slug of Tritanium laced with Element Zero at 30,000 meters per second?"

"_No, why-_"

"You're about to find out," Jaden said. "Fire." With that said, the _Hercules_ shot out what looked like a bolt of red and blue energy traveling faster than any Mass Accelerator ever could, as it slammed into the side of the collector ship. But it did more than that, as the shot succeeded in hitting the ship, as it then pulverized the entire central area of the ship, shattering it into thousands of pieces as the ship was torn in half literally.

"Nice to see it works on Collector ships… can only hope for similar results with Reaper ships." Jaden said.

"_I'd be a little more impressed if it actually broke lightspeed,_" Ron informed. "_Firing tricobalt torpedoes. I don't want any debris in orbit._" The underside mounted forward engineering section torpedo launcher fired five projectiles at the wreckage, causing what appeared to be… holes in space when they exploded on impact, sealing themselves within moments. "_I hate using those things. Captain Shepard, Commander, I think it's time we had a bit of a strategy meeting. Head on over to the Ra-Cailum when you can._"

"_Can we head back to Illium first, or have the meeting on the way to Illium?_" Shepard asked. "_I want to get the Cerberus logos off my ship, give my crew a chance to get some new uniforms, too._"

"_We'll escort you there,_" Ron replied. "_Commander, I would hope you join us, that way we can handle this as quickly as possible._"

"Might as well," Jaden said. "We'll follow your lead."

* * *

_**Illium - 5 hours later**_

* * *

The _Normandy_ was now in the process of having the paint removed from the hull (extra weight they didn't need) and having it repainted in joint Alliance/Starfleet colors with joint registry. Of course, these included a delta-arrow pendent on both sides as well as a Starfleet registry: NX-113057. It was also getting refit, the out-of-date technology stolen by Cerberus being updated with the latest versions - especially the science lab.

At the moment, however, five people were currently having a meeting on the _Ra-Cailum_, formulating their next move against the Reapers.

"Well, we've taken out the Collector's main ship," Takeshi remarked. "Just the same, though, we need to hit them at their source - that means finding a way through the Omega-4 Relay."

"We have been doing a bit of research on that ourselves," Jaden said. "Thanks to some of our spies in Cerberus, we think we've identified exactly _where _the Omega 4 Relay takes you - somewhere in the center of the galaxy. We think they have some sort of Reaper base inside, that's safe from all of the Black Holes and Supernova's going on in there."

Ron pulled up some of the data EDI recovered from the Collector cruiser on one of the monitors. "The only way your ships can get there is if you have an overcharged mass effect core. Starfleet ships won't have that problem thanks to our deflector dishes."

"There _is _another way," Jaden said. "We think the Omega 4 Relay does some kind of 'scan' of the ships which get in contact with it. We believe it scans for Reaper IFF's, that would explain why no ship that has ever entered the O4 Relay has ever returned. We get a Reaper IFF, we can enter and leave the Omega 4 Relay whenever we want…" he then grinned. "And, thanks to Cerberus… I know where we can find one. Cerberus discovered a Derelict Reaper, in the Hawking Eta cluster, Thorne system in orbit of Mnemosyne. From what we've heard, it was hit by one hell of a shot which pretty much killed the only thing keeping it in orbit and not falling into the failed star is its Mass effect field. If we want a Reaper IFF, that would be our best chance."

"We'll want to wait a little bit, though," Shepard remarked. "Not just for my ship's refit - hitting the Collector Base is going to be incredibly tough - I want to recruit some more people to my team, first."

"The _Ra-Cailum_ and the _Hercules_ will take care of the IFF. We've got more experience with Reaper indoctrination, and we have ways to block the indoctrination process." Ron said. "And if their artifacts can turn you, what the fuck can a disabled Reaper do to an unprotected mind?"

"It takes prolonged exposure to Reaper Tech get _really _indoctrinated," Jaden said. "But even then, I won't be taking any chances - once we've got the IFF, we're scuttling that damn thing - It'll make for some good target practice at least. Though we should be prepared for a Cerberus presence… assuming they haven't already been turned to Husks."

"On the other hand, there's something we need to take care of," Ron looked at Hitomi. "I'm giving you a field commission to Lt. Commander. If anyone from the Normandy's crew wants to join Starfleet, tell them to send a request to my desk. Takeshi, I want you to pick up Tali: according to intel, she's on a former Quarian world, Haystrom. You've got the best ship for the job."

"Got it, Ron," Takeshi replied with a nod.

Hitomi nodded as well, smiling. "Guess I should go to the tailor and get fitted for a uniform," she said. "If only for when on the ship or on the starbase - I'll still use my armor for going on missions."

Ron nodded as he looked at Jaden. "We've got a Reaper's ID to steal and a lot of Cerberus assholes to make dead." He said. "I'll have a few type-10 high-yield torpedoes loaded onto the ra-cailum to blow that Reaper body to shit."

Jaden shrugged "Sure, though our guns should be more than enough to scuttle it anyways," he said. "We just need to hit its Mass Effect Field generator, and she'll go falling into the sun."

"Get back to your ship, Commander. I'll send a shipment of neural inhibitors to the Hercules. You'll need them if you plan to board that Reaper. God knows I'm using them, and I'm immune thanks to my implants. Dismissed, everyone."

"Makes me wonder, though," Shepard remarked. "If Ron's immune to indoctrination thanks to his Borg implants, and Hitomi and I were rebuilt with some of those same implants, we might be immune to the indoctrination process, too… not that I'm wanting to test that anytime soon, mind you."

The commanders left the briefing room, heading back to their ships.

* * *

_**18 hours later - Hawking Eta cluster, Thorne System - Mnemosyne**_

* * *

The two ships approached the brown dwarf, with the _Ra-Cailum_ in the lead. "Commander, your ship is far too large to enter the atmosphere," Ron said. "If you want a team on that thing, you're going to have to come onto the _Ra-Cailum_. Hell, I'm tempted to just use the _Isis_ to get onto that damn thing."

"_Why not just beam over?_" Jaden suggested. "_My transporter chief says he's got a clear signal. And our Dropships could probably get in there as well._"

"The mass effect field is too damn powerful for a safe beam in: you'd be spread all over the damn place. Dark energy and transporters don't mix. And your dropship would get bounced around out there without a displacement field, which you do not have."

"_Remind me to get my Dropships upgraded with those after the mission,_" Jaden said. "_Morningstar's got a lot of refitting to do for the fleet… I'll beam over with a team in a moment._"

'_More like you need a major R&D fest,_' Ron thought. "Tell Legion to meet me near the saucer quantum torpedo launcher," he continued aloud. "We're using the _Isis_ to get over there."

"The Captain's Yacht?" Sonja asked. "Why? We can enter the atmosphere and dock."

"Too dangerous," Ron informed. "I don't trust that Reaper as far as I can throw it. Sonja, the bridge is yours." Ron entered the turbolift, leaving the bridge.

* * *

**Under the saucer torpedo launcher - Captain's yacht docking port**

* * *

"You ready to beam over?" Ron asked, as he and his team had already entered the yacht.

"_We're heading over now._" Jaden responded. "_Beam us over Zack!_" A few moments later, there were nine beams of red light as appearing before them were nine heavily armed and armored individuals. They each wore similar armor, looking somewhat like the standard N7 Armor, but the visor was larger, covering the entire face behind a polarized visor, and looking more armored than the N7. They were all black, however they all had their armors customized in one way or another.

The first one's armor seemed highly customized with extra plating, given a red trimming and a red and white Shark face painted on the visor. Judging from the sizable backpack and the large hose-like object attached to it, it was safe to say he was armed with a Flamethrower-type weapon.

The second one had the same colorization, however mounted on the forehead was what looked like a helmet-mounted Rangefinder which could lower in front of his silver visor. His armor was more slim to allow better mobility and stealth, and from the long barrel-like object on his back, he was likely a sniper.

Next was another man with the same armor and colors, only he had a full belt of what looked like Shotgun shells or something akin to them strapped around his torso, and a weapon which looked a _lot _like a Shotgun in his hands, and a Grenade Launcher-like weapon on his back. However the most unique feature he had was the cybernetic left arm he had.

After him was another man in the same armor with a maroon trim, however not only was he the tallest - next to the flamethrower soldier - the sleeves of his armor had been removed, revealing his large muscles which could probably make a Klingon jealous. He had a large rocket launcher-like weapon on his back, along with a rifle type weapon.

Forthly was one of the only women in the team, whose helmet was currently off showing her long blond hair and blue eyes. She had the same armor as the rest of them, only she had an assault rifle-like weapon, two Submachine Guns, and a pair of long Combat Knives.

Two of the last members were almost identical, each one wearing the same heavily customized armors, each equipped with large chaingun like weapons and packs. The only thing which made them different was that one had a Smiley face on his visor, while the other had a frowny face on theirs. The same could be said with their respective Chainguns, as one had a smiley face attached, and the other had a frowny face.

Second to last was another man, wearing the same armor as the others with the same colors, however he had a collapsable Tomahawk strapped to his back along with a rifle.

Finally, was Jaden Takeo himself, who was suited up in armor similar to the others with the exact same colors of black with a red trimming, customized for a mixture of heavy armor, without sacrificing mobility and speed. He seemed to be armed with a rifle weapon and shotgun. "Sorry 'bout the short delay, had to get the team together." Jordan said.

"Take a seat, Commander. As long as you're here, I don't care how long you take." Ron pressed several buttons on the control panel in front of him. "_Isis_ to bridge: request permission to depart."

"_Permission granted, Captain. Safe flight._"

The _Isis_, the _Ra-Cailum_'s yacht, dropped away from the ship before engaging its' impulse engines, heading for the wreck. "Sensors are a bit hampered by the brown dwarf's radiation field, but I'm picking up signs of limited movement on the Reaper." The _Isis_ entered the giant, rocking slightly from the intense winds. "I'm also picking up another ship…"

"It's a Cerberus research ship." Jaden said, glancing at what Ron was looking at. "They docked with the Reaper to conduct research… I'm gonna go ahead and assume the team's been turned into Husks already, that's probably the movement your detecting."

"Good thing this thing's armed." Ron said, as the Isis banked to port slightly again. "Our dropship would have a lot more bumps than this thing's going through." Jaden said. "What the hell did you people put in this thing?"

"Warp nacelles are generating a warp bubble, but it's not perfect," Ron said. "The IDF's keeping most of the rough stuff out-" The ship banked to starboard. "But the winds ARE going at Mach 5 and the computer's got a million things to do at once."

"Just get us close so we can board her," Jaden said, "We'll lock onto the Cerberus ship, and work our way inside from there." He glanced at his team "We do this by the books people! Michael, Lindsay, you two head out first! The rest of us will follow behind you - anyone see any Husks, shoot first, ask questions never."

The two Chaingun users giggled rather… oddly sending shivers to some of the other starfleet member's spines, as they prepared to head out once the shuttle landed.

The Isis passed through the Reaper's ME field, and the rocking stopped. "Build a big enough generator, and you can blow up a sun." Ron muttered.

"Huh?"

"The Reaper's core is powerful enough to cancel out the wind caused by the storm." Ron said. "If you make a eezo core large enough, you can probably end the life of a star. Then again, why do that when all you need is a trilithium torpedo?" The Isis docked with the Cerberus ship, safely attached to the docking arm. Ron handed Jaden a small, disk-like device. "Put this on your neck, as close to your spine as possible and in contact with your skin."

Jaden rose an eyebrow as he accepted the device. "Let me guess, this is the anti-Indoctrination device you mentioned?" he asked. "Sure hope you have enough for everyone."

"Kid, this thing is so easy to replicate, it's not even funny," Ron said. "There's dozens on the _Isis_. _**Thousands**_ on the _Ra-Cailum_."

"Don't you need one?" Jaden asked, as Ron picked up two phaser rifles, one being set to pulsewave mode and the other being his mod 2.

"I have borg implants inside my brain." He responded. "They keep any… outside influence out."

Jaden shrugged as he attached the device to his neck. "Alright everyone, suit up with these things," he said. "I'd like to avoid being turned into a mindless husk - and that goes for all of you!"

Ron put a breather mask over his face, then opened the airlock door. The two chaingunners stepped out first, giggling as they did so. "You seem to like insane. Remind me to introduce you to my aunt if we get out of this alive."

Making their way through the Cerberus ship was simple enough: they had the same layout as an Alliance one. The moment they crossed inside the Reaper itself, though, the corpse rocked. "Ra-Cailum _to away team,_" came over the comms. "_The Reaper's activated kinetic barriers. That, coupled with the mass effect field, is going to make it impossible to beam you out._"

"We could disable the barriers and the ME field." Jaden suggested, "Then your guys can beam us off before the Reaper falls into the sun… either that or we find a way to disconnect the Cerberus ship and use it to get out of here."

"We get the IFF first, THEN disable the core." Ron said. "After that, I'm having those torpedoes beamed onto this thing. If we can build a ship that can dive into the atmosphere of a gas giant, so can the Klingons and the Tal Shiar." Jaden looked at Ron in surprise. "Oh, didn't think of that, did we? We have ships that can do just that. No one salvages anything from this Reaper."

Making their way into the reaper's hulk was made easier by the number of walkways Cerberus installed. Moans caught their attention as hands started climbing up the edge of the walkways. "We've got husks!" Ron shouted.

"Weapons free!" Jaden shouted, as the Chaingunners giggled as they walked up, and the barrels began to spin as they let out a hail of bullets forward towards the hoard of Husks, mowing them down with little effort. The two began marching forward, letting loose as they killed any Husks in front of them.

More husks climbed up from below, forcing Ron to use the mod 3 phaser rifle to vaporize them before they could attack the two gunners. Everyone else kept the two covered from back attack as they pushed forward.

After five minutes of this, they ran into something different. VERY different. It appeared to be a squad of turians, only… well, Ron summed it up. "Holy shit, those guys look fucked up," he said. "What the hell are turians doing he-" The 'turians' opened fire on the team, forcing them to take cover.

"I don't think those are turians!" Jaden shouted. "They look like husks, only, well, turian! And they actually shoot back instead of charging blindly at us!"

"Great, turian husks with a brain! Kill them at range!" Ron fired his mod 2 phaser rifle at one of the turian husks, which he mentally coined 'Marauders'.

"Where the hell did these things come from?"

Ron pulled out his tricorder after all of them were dead and scanned them. "They came from the ship. Each of them has the same DNA. They're fucking clones."

"Why am I not surprised…" Jaden muttered, "Cerberus must've been cloning Turians, and intentionally indoctrinating them to become these things… by the way, just gonna call them Marauders from now on - seems fitting."

"Fitting. I thought to call them the same thing. Let's get that fucking IFF, shut down the core and leave: just because I'm immune to indoctrination doesn't mean I can't HEAR the signal. It's giving me a headache."

* * *

_**Far Rim, Dholen System - Haestrom orbit**_

* * *

While Ron and Jaden were dealing with the Reaper IFF, Takeshi was busy trying to recover Tali. Of course, there was a problem: the intense solar energy would kill anyone on the surface without protection. "Kinetic barriers are nearly useless here, and our personal shields are almost as bad," Linda remarked. Both she and Takeshi had gotten spare sets of Alliance N7 Armor, which they had on as they prepared to head down.

"I know what you mean," Takeshi said. "Can't believe how intense the radiation from that thing is - had to park the ship in orbit on the other side of the planet, just to protect it - it's a good thing Tali's location is close to the day/night line."

"Not close enough," Linda replied. "Really hopeful that whatever she went here for wasn't a fool's errand."

"The good news is that that Ferengi scientist's work 40 years ago can be applied to both our shipboard and personal shields," Takeshi informed. They won't be as effective in combat, but we won't fry in the sun's light." Metaphasic shields were great for work near a star, but in combat, not so much. "We'll need to use the _Cyclone_ to get down there: I don't trust the transporters with THAT much solar radiation."

"Agreed," Linda replied. "Good thing that you're as skilled at piloting a shuttle as you are at flying the ship."

"Yeah," Takeshi remarked. "Mogire, I want you coming with us - we might need your medical talents down there."

"Y… yes sir," Mogire replied. She'd always been somewhat timid, a shut-in, but her time among the ship's crew had helped with that, even if she still had a stutter from time to time.

* * *

A few minutes later, the Tempest's type-10 shuttlepod was on her way down to the surface, with the metaphasic shields online. "Radiation is extremely high," Kim reported, having come along, as well. "According to records, the star's far too young for turning into a red giant."

"Someone's been screwing with the laws of nature," Takeshi said as the _Cyclone_ landed as close to Tali's position as possible, only to come under fire from a Geth armature. "Oh, bloody hell! I thought I was done dealing with these things!"

"No time to complain!" Linda replied. "Let's light them up, then find Tali!" She fired off a Sniper bolt from her rifle, hitting the armature. "Come on!"

They set out, moving from shadow to shadow to avoid being in the sun for too long.

"OH-rah!"

Two rockets hit the armature, forcing it to redirect fire toward the source.

"There's a Quarian over there!" Takeshi remarked. "Migrant Fleet Marines are probably the only ones insane enough to do that!"

Two Geth were vaporized by Linda's expert marksmanship, but the armature began targeting them again. "Takeshi, we're going to need to need the _Cyclone_'s firepower to take that thing out!" she said

"Right," Takeshi replied. "Stay here and keep it busy - I'll go back to the shuttle!"

The Geth ground troops were weak against Starfleet-issue weapons, but the armature was generating a high-powered EM field similar to the ones used by the Borg, if less powerful. It was enough to make sure it didn't die immediately. At least until Takeshi finally got the type-10 shuttle back into the air and pounded the armature with phaser fire, THEN it turned into a steaming pile of metal and ceramics. "_Let's get that Marine and Tali out of here,_" he called out over the shuttle's speakers.

"Right," Linda replied, as she, Mogire, and Kim made it to the location the Marine had been shooting from. "You alright?" she asked when they got there.

The quarian looked up at them. "Aww, hell," he muttered. "Starfleet. Look, if this is about that ship-"

"The _Scimitar_'s yours. We actually came to help you. Linda Yamato of the _Raging Tempest_."

"Friend of the boss," the Quarian remarked. "Kal'Reegar, Quarian Migrant Fleet Marine Corps."

"Do you know where Tali is?" Linda asked.

Kal'Reegar pointed at a sealed chamber. "She's in there, Commander. I could use a bit of help, though."

"What kind of help?" she asked.

"Suit was punctured," Kal'Reegar replied. "Just need some medical help. Can you beam me back to your ship?"

"Transporters are too risky: radiation will kill us AND our crew if we lower our shields to beam anyone up," Mogire informed.

"I'll drag my ass onto your shuttle, then," Kal'Reegar replied.

"We'll help you there," Morige said as she helped Kal'Reegar to his feet, carrying him to the now-landed _Cyclone_.

"I'll go get Tali," Linda informed, heading over to the sealed chamber. There appeared to be a switch for two-way communications, so she pushed it. "Tali, can you hear me?" she asked.

"_Commander Yamato?_" she asked. "_What are you doing here?_"

"We came here to get you out of here," Linda informed. "We… kind of need you for a mission."

"_Cerberus' suicide mission against the Collectors? No thank you: Captain Pinkerton informed me about Project Overlord._"

Linda shuddered at that. "Uh, no. Shepard's left Cerberus' employ. The mission is all ours now."

"_Which hopefully makes it less of a suicide mission,_" Tali replied. "_I guess that works. Do we have any leads?_"

"Ron's getting a Reaper IFF so we can hit the Collector base with the new _Normandy_," Linda informed. "Thought we could use your help."

Tali chuckled as the door opened, followed by her walking out. "I just need to send this data back to the flotilla. I hope you can wait for that, seeing as my team's dead." "Not all of them: Kal'Reegar's at the Cyclone now. We're going to get him patched up." "Damn it. Just one survivor. I'm almost as bad as Ashley when it comes to people dying around me." Linda patted her on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

* * *

_**The dead Reaper**_

* * *

"I! HATE! HUSKS!" Ron fired his weapon at a group of husks which kept them from the Reaper's ME core.

"Preaching to the choir Ron!" Jaden shouted, as he kicked another Husk over the side of the railing before firing his assault rifle into another Marauder.

"Legion, shut down that fucking mass effect core!"

The geth platform used its' Widow to quadruple kill a number of husks. "We cannot comply, Captain: there are too many enemy contacts-"

"GAH!" Ron marched up to the console, injecting it with Borg nanoprobes, forcibly taking control of the Reaper from within, shutting down the core. He collapsed as soon as the job was done. "Biggest. Mistake. I've ever. Made."

"SHIT!" Jaden shouted, both as Ron collapsed, and the Reaper began to shudder, as it began its descent into the gas giant without its Mass Effect field active. "_RA-CAILUM! _RON'S UNCONSCIOUS! BEAM US BACK NOW GODDAMNIT!"

"_Tap his commbadge three times, Commander. We're locking onto you now, but we need to boost the signal._"

Jaden tapped his badge three times, and seconds later, they disappeared in columns of light, reappearing on the _Ra-Cailum_'s bridge.

"Status on the _Isis_?" Sonja asked.

"On her way back via autopilot, Commander."

Sonja looked at Corpsa. "Beam the torpedoes over. Blow that Reaper to hell."

Jaden sighed as he brought up his own Omni-tool communicator "_Hercules,_ prepare to beam me and the team back over there when I say so." He said, as he looked at the view screen. "I'm interested in seeing what happens…"

The Reaper sank deep into the brown dwarf before the torpedoes exploded. And that was when everything went straight to hell. "Commander, I am detecting a reaction near the core of the brown dwarf." Sonja, sitting in the captain's chair, looked at T'Var. "So? The Reaper just went boom."

"It has done more then just 'go boom', Commander. I am detecting a nuclear reaction within the dwarf's core."

"Nuclear? As in-"

"The torpedoes have ignited the dwarf. It is about to turn into an actual star."

"Oh son of a… _Hercules_, get your ass moving!" Jaden ordered, "That dwarf's turning into a star!"

"Riza, get us the fuck out of here!" Riza worked her hands as the _Ra-Cailum_ headed toward the mass relay, followed by the slightly slower _Hercules_. They barely escaped before the dwarf turned into a fiery ball of gas, destroying everything within five hundred thousand kilometers, and even then the shockwave hit both ships.

"Well, that's a first," Jaden muttered.

"Not really, Commander Takeo: photon torpedoes are more powerful than the main gun on your ship if set to their maximum yield." Sonja said. "30 isotons is enough to turn a small moon into a cloud of dust. We used 300 isotons to destroy that Reaper."

"…who MAKES shit like this?" Jaden shouted. "They have WAY too much time on their hands!"

"If you want to go back far enough, blame the Klingons. They invented the damn things. We just… improved them. Riza, set course for the relay and take us to Illium. Those retrofits to the Normandy should be complete by now." She stood up. "Commander, I'm going to need that Reaper IFF. The Ra-Cailum and any other Federation ship that decides to join us can make it through without a problem. Your ship and the Normandy don't have navigational deflectors, so you actually need this IFF. And I don't think you want to get killed just because the damn thing was booby trapped."

"No need to tell me twice," Jaden said, as he pulled out the device which held the IFF inside. "I was gonna give it to you anyways… just be sure to forward it back to us once you've made sure its safe."

Sonja took the device, and chuckled. "Six hours and the only thing this IFF will be doing is helping you. What happened to Ron? If you did anything to him, me not handing over a copy of the IFF will be the least of your worries."

"He did something to the controls…" Jaden said shrugging, "I'm not exactly sure what he did… the last thing he said was, and I quote: 'Biggest mistake I've ever made'. Whatever he did shut off the core."

"Let me guess. You don't know much about him besides what he's done on your side."

"We've only met once before, and that was when our Translight Engines shorted out," Jaden said. "I haven't had time to do much research on him."

"Well, here's some intel in a nutshell: he's a former Borg drone with most of the more useful technology still inside his body. That includes the nanoprobe injection tubules, which he probably used to directly interface with the Reaper. Also, we have another name for your 'translight engine': quantum slipstream."

"Huh… that's what my Sister keeps calling it…" Jaden said, "And that does make sense… though is he going to be alright though? He _did _directly interface with a Reaper… dead or alive."

Sonja kicked her unconscious CO down into the captain's chair, which woke him up. "THE FUCK?!"

"He's fine. Those 'useful implants' include a few things that shield his mind from… foreign influences that aren't Borg." She said. "The Reapers can't control him. The Borg also can't control the Reapers: element zero overloads most Borg implants."

"Huh… good to know," Jaden said, nodding. "Well, let us know once the IFF is ready. We need to make preparations once you're ready to head for Omega 4."

Ron, who was still a bit groggy, sat in his chair. "Captain, WE are ready now. There's only three people we're waiting on: Shepard, Takeshi, and you!"

"Well we can't do anything until they get back here," Jaden said. "And once the Reaper IFF is ready. I just need to make a call to the Foundation to get a fleet ready to go through Omega 4 when the IFF is good to go."

"Commander, the four of us are overkill. The _Ra-Cailum_ destroyed Sovereign and we just ignited a star from a gas giant. You don't need much more than that."

"I think you might have a point…"

The two ships hit the relay, heading back for Illium.

* * *

_**Palaven**_

* * *

General Corinthus was excited. The Federation had been busy building a large dock for a new ship, and he wanted to see what it was building. Of course, with the Primarch there, he had to NOT jump on the walls. "This had better be an important ship," Fedorian said. "All the Federation's been building in orbit are Miranda and Constitution-class starships, and they are common."

"It might be something different," Corinthus remarked. "We're ab - Oh. My." The ship entered their view, and there was a reason for the jaws hitting the deck.

They'd seen images of the Federation's Flagship, the _Enterprise_-F. And the ship in the dock was clearly of the same class - _Odyssey_-Class, if Corinthus remembered correctly.

"I… I was told the ship was built from local materials," Corinthus informed. "I was expecting an _Excelsior_, or another _Constitution_, not… this monster."

The Class-2 shuttle flew over the saucer section, revealing the name and registry: USS _Palatine_ NCC-119305. "Palatine?" Fedorian asked.

"It's a hill, apparently," Corinthus remarked. "On earth. I think it was one in a major city called Rome."

Fedorian blinked. "The Roman Empire on Earth," he said. "I've read about them. They were the turians of their world and age."

Corinthus helped guide the shuttle toward the shuttlebay. "It's a sign, sir," he informed. "We might be on the cusp of membership. The Salarians haven't had such an important ship built here yet."

Fedorian chuckled. "For once, we beat them in a race," he said as the shuttle landed in the Palatine's shuttlebay, allowing them to go on their tour of the ship.

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest**

* * *

"Welcome back aboard, Tali," Takeshi informed as they stepped onto the Bridge. "Good to see you again."

Tali looked around the bridge. "It's good to be back, Captain. I'm surprised you decided to try to recruit me for this mission. How is Shepard?"

"Shepard's doing alright - mainly having her new ship repainted and refit," Takeshi informed. "Cerberus actually built a new _Normandy_, about twice as big as the old one, using stolen Starfleet tech - that was fairly out of date. Now that she's cut ties with them - and brought her entire crew with her, many of whom have accepted commissions in Starfleet - we're removing the Cerberus paint job, and updating everything to modern tech."

Tali was probably blinking in surprise under her helmet. "Wow," she replied. "That's… interesting to say the least. My life hasn't exactly been simple, either. Ever since Korris recovered the _Scimitar_, I've been busy either getting geth materials back to the fleet for my father or trading more advanced versions of technology that already exist here for materials needed back home. Takeshi… I think a war is brewing between my people and the geth."

Takeshi nodded. "Your people are wanting to reclaim your homeworld," he guessed. "And from what Ron's managed to get from Legion, they only fought to defend themselves, and would do so again because your people would be trying to 'remove the Geth's right to self-determinate'."

"And he trusts that - Of course he does," she said. "He used to be half-machine: he would understand it better than anyone. Even with the _Scimitar's_ advanced weapons and defenses, we would lose more people. We need your help, Captain."

Takeshi sighed. "We'll need to bring it up with Ron and Starfleet Command," he remarked. "Odds are they'll want to try the diplomatic approach, first." He then seemed to get an idea. "We might also want to try getting in touch with some geneticists, be they Federation or Romulan Republic. They might be able to find some way to bolster your immune systems so you don't need to wear those suits all the time."

"That was mostly the idea," she replied. "I don't want us to go to war with the Geth: I want my homeworld back, but after my experiences with you and reading about this 'Data', I just… I'm just hoping we can end this without getting both sides killed."

"Right," Takeshi said. "I'll see if we can get in touch with the Diplomatic Corps. Though I certainly hope they don't send Ambassador Sugihara - nothing against the guy, but he talks even more than the new scientist on Shepard's team, Professor Solus - and _**he**_ is about as verbose as an Academy Lecturer on Raktajino."

"...And you presume I have any idea what that means," Tali replied, deadpan. "We're going to need to visit the Migrant Fleet to drop off Kal'Reegar and the data on Haestrom's star."

"Right," Takeshi said. "I'll contact Illium - Shepard can meet us at the Migrant Fleet, so you can catch up with them." He then paused. "Also, to clarify my previous statement, Raktajino is the name for Klingon coffee - much more potent than regular coffee. I got introduced to it by Brok'tan back in the Academy, and found myself liking it - hopefully someone's been able to run tests to see if it's dextro-amino friendly, so I can introduce you to it."

"Not to worry: Starfleet sent us a program that can convert levo-protein foods to dexo," she replied. "I don't know how you people do it."

"I think the Starfleet Corps of Engineers gets off on challenges like that," Takeshi remarked. "Well, it makes it easier to introduce you to Raktajino - and let me tell you, I never much liked regular coffee, but Raktajino's something completely different, taste-wise."

The _Raging Tempest_ headed for the mass relay, heading for the last known location of the Quarian flotilla.

* * *

**Takeshi Yamato: Well, we've gotten the Reaper IFF.**

**Ron the True Fan: And ties with Cerberus are now cut. **

**Takeshi Yamato: Not to mention Samara and Thane are in the party now, Ashley and Kaidan are back on the scene, Shepard and Hitomi are engaged, and we've got Tali on the road to being a member of the team again. Just **_**one**_ **hurdle before that happens, though…**

**Ron the True Fan: We'll jump off that bridge when we come to it. Until then**

Both: Ja Ne!


	8. Chapter 7: War and Peace

**Ron the True Fan: Do I LOOK like Gene Roddenberry, or that I work for Paramount or CBS?! Tell the bloodsucking lawyers to piss off!**

**Takeshi Yamato: We also don't own Mass Effect, or anything else that might make a cameo in this story… what can I say, I love importing things from other franchises and tweaking them to fit the destination! It still belongs to whomever created it, though.**

**117Jorn: We just own our characters and their shit. HIT IT! :D**

* * *

_**Illium - USS **_**Normandy** _**SR2**_

* * *

"I don't know why they didn't add an A to the registry," Hitomi remarked.

"Because the _Normandy_ was an Alliance-only ship. Just because it was important doesn't mean it was Starfleet-registered."

The retrofits were complete, but Hitomi was asking (read 'demanding') for a suffix to be added.

"When Nicole named it after we first got it, she called it the _Normandy_-A," she said.

"Regardless of whether or not she called it that, this ship is the first _Normandy_ with THIS registry, Commander. I don't care if Captain Shepard doesn't like it: we're not tacking on an 'A' to the registry."

Hitomi sighed. "Alright, fine," she said, before heading off to inform Shepard.

Shepard was working on her personal log when Hitomi walked into her quarters. "They didn't go for it," she said.

"What?" Shepard asked. "Why?"

"The first _Normandy_ was just an Alliance ship," Hitomi replied. "This one's jointly operated."

Shepard sighed. "Well, I guess I can understand it," she said. "Still wish they would have gone for it, but oh, well." She then smiled. "On another subject, I have something I'd like to ask - when we get married, do you want to take my last name, have me take your last name, or what?"

"I… let's keep our last names," Hitomi said after a moment. "We'll be married, Nicole."

Shepard nodded. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I guess I was just wondering, given that normally one member of the pair getting married takes on the last name of the other - Ashley's going to become Ashley Alenko when she marries Kaidan, for example."

"Did, actually," Hitomi informed. "I think Captain Pinkerton married them on the _Ra-Cailum_ after the collector cruiser was blown up. But if you take my name, everyone will do what they always do: use your last name to address you. And if you take mine, it's going to get confusing if we're BOTH in the room. Same thing if I take yours. And Shepard-Yamato is a mouthful. No wonder Ron never calls Linda 'Allster-Yamato'."

Shepard nodded. "Good point," she said. "Also, I'd like to do it soon, if possible - maybe have Admiral Ushiromiya marry us once our rings are finished." There was another pause. "On another topic, after we've dealt with the Collectors, and maybe even the Reapers… what would you say to… having a kid?"

Hitomi blushed. "Uh… can we… save that discussion for AFTER we win?" she asked.

"_Captain Shepard to the bridge,_" EDI said over the comms. "_Repeat, Captain Shepard to the bridge._"

Shepard chuckled. "Guess they're back." They entered the lift and headed down to the command deck. "What have we got?" she asked.

"_The _Ra-Cailum _has returned, as well as the _Hercules_. We have also received a message from Captain Yamato._"

"What's the message?" Shepard asked.

"_A request for your presence with the Quarian fleet,_" EDI informed. "_Tali'Zorah has apparently been charged with treason._"

"Oh, that's not good," Hitomi remarked. "And complete rubbish, too - she hasn't done anything against the Migrant Fleet."

"We'll find out what's going on when we get there," she informed. "Joker! Get us departure clearance - we're heading out! EDI, did the message come with coordinates?"

"_Yes, Captain,_" she replied. "_I have given the coordinates to Jeff._"

'_Jeff?_' Shepard thought to herself even as the Normandy undocked, heading towards the Relay.

"Ra-Cailum _to _Normandy," Ron informed. "_We'll escort you to the Quarian fleet. I think I owe them a visit anyways. _Hercules_, want to join in?_"

"_We've got nothing better to do,_" Jaden said. "_The fleet will take some time to assemble anyways._"

"_Not that we NEED them,_" Ron remarked as the three ships headed for the relay, jumping out of system.

* * *

_**USS **_**Raging Tempest** _**- outskirts of Quarian Migrant Fleet**_

* * *

The _Raging Tempest_ flew beside the _Scimitar_, which now had Quarian markings. "Three ships approaching," Kim reported. "The _Ra-Cailum_, _Normandy_, and the _Hercules_."

"Guess Ron wanted to visit the Quarians, too," Takeshi remarked. "I don't know Jaden's reason for coming, but I suspect boredom. Well, with the gang all here, we might be able to see just what these charges against Tali are about, and find a way to deal with them."

The Normandy docked with the Rayya, with the Ra-Cailum hovering just above the Normandy and the Hercules two kilometers from the fleet. "Raging Tempest_, transport your party onto the _Normandy," the Rayya's captain instructed. "_Same applies to the _Ra-Cailum."

"_Copy that, _Rayya," Ron replied. "_See you on board, Take._"

"Acknowledged," Takeshi said. "Well, Linda, let's go."

"Right," Linda replied as the two went to their rooms, donned EV Suits, and headed to the Transporter Room, where Tali awaited them.

"I hope this doesn't end badly, Captain," Tali said as they mounted the platform. "I've done nothing but help the flotilla."

"We know, Tali," Takeshi replied. "We'll get this sorted out. Energize."

The three of them were transported onto the _Normandy_, followed by Ron… and Legion.

"OK, I know he's not hostile, but why is Legion here?" Linda asked. "We know the opinion of most of the Quarians regarding the Geth."

Ron, wearing a combat EV suit, smirked. "That's why I'm coming along," he informed. "And Legion made the request. He wanted to help dissuage opinions that the geth are hostile to everything organic."

Legion looked at Tali. "Creator-Zorah, Captain Pinkerton speaks the truth," he said. "This unit wished to join you to disprove that all geth are hostile."

"They are _not _gonna let a Geth walk around their ship…" Jaden said, as he walked inside.

"Then I will simply say to them what I will tell you," he said. "Touch my friend, and there WILL be pain."

"Got it," Takeshi replied. "Now, let's meet up with Shepard, and see what this is all about."

The team entered the _Rayya_, with Ron walking beside Legion. "Captain Pinkerton, you called this unit 'your friend'," it said.

"Because you are," Ron replied. "Synth or not, you are an intelligent being. A race in my universe had an analogue for you, and it is quite fitting. A Kurlan naiskos has several smaller figurines inside, similar in shape to the original one, which represented a community of individuals, each with their own voice, their own desires and their own view of the world. If you will indulge the metaphor, you are a naiskos, with the runtimes within you being the individuals."

Legion nodded. "Metaphor does seem possible," it said.

Jaden was a bit surprised by the comparison, but had no time to think about it as they approached the Quarian greeting party.

"Geth!" one Quarian said as he raised his weapon.

"Hold your fire: the Geth isn't trying to kill anyone," the _Rayya_'s Captain informed. "Captain, I assume you brought the Geth onto my ship for a reason?"

"You assume correctly," Ron said. "Legion is a non-hostile Geth, only here to bring an end to the hostilities between your peoples, Captain...?"

"Kar'Danna vas Rayya, Captain Pinkerton," Kar'Danna informed. "I didn't think geth could think for themselves so far from other Geth." He looked at Legion. "No offense."

"None taken, Creator-Danna," Legion replied. "This platform is unique, containing 1183 runtimes at once."

"That explains a lot," Kar'Danna remarked. "Alright, then, you're free to walk about the ship, but only if Pinkerton vouches for you."

Ron drew a knife, prompting the guards to point their weapons at him until he flipped it around to hand it over to Kar'Danna. "If I could, I'd make a blood oath," he said. "In lieu of that, you can kill me with this if Legion harms anyone without being attacked first. Do we have an understanding?"

Kar'Danna nodded, taking the knife. "We do," he informed. "Hope I don't have to use this."

"For all our sakes, Admiral," Tali informed. "Ron's a friend of our people, despite his actions with the _Scimitar_ two years ago."

The group moved through the ship, running into another Quarian. "Tali, I - What in the name of-"

"Aunty Rann, it's a long story, but the Geth… Legion isn't hostile," Tali informed. "Captain Pinkerton has agreed to keep it in line, so long as no one attacks it."

'Rann' paused for a moment. "I see," she said. "Pinkerton vas Ra-Cailum, I am Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. I would welcome you on board, but the Geth-"

"_**Legion**_ is non-hostile," Ron replied. "Most Geth are. The only ones that want to help the Reapers are the Heretics, Admiral, and they are few in number. Legion wants to help his people. Yours AND his."

"I'll… take your word for it," Shala replied.

"Aunty Raan, this is Shepard vas Normandy and Yamato vas Normandy. The other two in the Starfleet suits are Takeshi and Linda Yamato vas Raging Tempest. I'm… not sure who the other one is."

"Commander Jaden Takeo, from the Private Military Corporation Morningstar," Shala'Raan said, causing the others to all blink in surprise, while Jaden smirked a bit. "It's been a while, Jaden… how's your mother doing?"

"Good - taking care of the Takeo Foundation and Morningstar," he said. "With all these Reapers, Borg, and Klingons, we've been pretty damn busy these last few years."

"Wait… you know him?" Tali asked in surprise.

"Morningstar has been supporting the Migrant Fleet for a long time," Raan said. "When Cerberus attacked one of our ships, the _Ideena,_ Morningstar helped defend the ship, forcing Cerberus to retreat. We were confused at first, knowing the Takeo Foundation supported Cerberus… but Jaden's mother told us they have been having a lot of doubts about Cerberus, and have been pulling support ever since… and since then, Morningstar has helped keep the Migrant fleet afloat, assisting in repairs and supplies to us, while the rest of the galaxy shunned us for creating the Geth. They promised to help find a world where we could call home again, and would tell us if they ever found one."

"It's difficult to find a planet with the same properties as Rannoch," Jaden said. "One of my engineers has gotten an idea after she did some research in the Federation, and we might be able to get you a world to call your own again soon if her theory is correct."

"Either way, I am only the spokesperson for the trial," Raan informed. "I have too many close ties to Tali's father. As such, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, I am forced, regrettably, to inform you-"

"Wait, vas Normandy?" Ron asked.

"We… were forced to transfer her to the last known ship she was assigned to. I don't like it any more than you do."

Ron sighed. "Shepard, that means you're her lawyer now," he said. "God help you."

Shepard looked at Ron. "Wait, what?"

Raan looked surprised at that. "I didn't know you knew so much about Quarian traditions, Captain," she said.

Ron hooked a thumb at Legion. "He told me," he said. "You're her CO, Sheppy: that means you defend her as best you can."

Shepard blinked a couple of times, then nodded. "Alright," she said. "I'll do my best."

They entered the courtyard that was being used as the 'courtroom', with an elevated walkway being used as the judge's podium. Raan joined the three already up there. "The trial against Tali'Zorah vas Normandy will now commence-"

"I object, Admiral Raan! Tali'Zorah has brought an ACTIVE Geth onto this ship! That is-"

Raan gave him a look before speaking. "Captain Pinkerton brought the Geth here, and he has given his word that the Geth, known as 'Legion', will attack no one unless provoked."

"Might I also inform the judges that if Legion attempts to harm anyone, I have offered my life in exchange?" Ron asked.

"Very well," the Admiral informed. "Objection withdrawn."

Raan looked at Tali. "Shepard vas Normandy, do you have anything to say on your crewmate's behalf?"

"Only that I'm ashamed that the _Rayya_'s captain can't be down here to defend Tali and that she has fought the Geth as hard as she could," Shepard informed.

"That is noted, Captain Shepard. Tali'Zorah, you have been charged with bringing active Geth - excluding the one identifying itself as 'Legion' - into the Migrant Fleet. what say you?"

Shepard shook her head. "It's impossible: Tali, according to her records, has only been sending inactive parts to the flotilla."

"Then explain why Geth signals have been detected on the _Alarei_, Captain Shepard!"

Tali staggered back, obviously in shock. if her eyes could be visible, they would be wide open. "W-what?!" she asked in shocked horror.

Ron and Shepard looked VERY pissed off. "I thought Quarians valued family, Admiral!" Shepard said.

"How DARE you spring this in the middle of a fucking trial!" Ron practically roared.

Raan looked down in shame. "Forgive me, Captains," she said, "All of you should have been informed."

Tali looked at Shepard. "We need to rescue them, Shepard!"

"The safest option is to use the _Scimitar's _weapons to vaporize the _Alarei_, but if you seek an honorable death rather than-"

"I'm looking for my father, you bosh'tet!" Tali informed.

Ron pointed his phaser 'skyward before firing it. Thankfully, it was set to a low setting, but enough to get their attention. "Enough. I will _personally _escort Tali'Zorah vas Normandy onto the _Alarei _to prove she is a loyal member of the Migrant fleet if I have to!"

"You do not have the right to speak for Tali, Captain."

Shepard chuckled. "I do, and I second Ron's words."

"And considering you'll need all the help you can get, I volunteer my team to aid you in your efforts to retake the _Alarei._" Jaden said, "They'll help take care of any Geth onboard."

"With respect, Commander Takeo, we can't let a large team onto the _Alerai_: the ship is equipped with prototype transporter inhibitors. You will need to take a shuttle over."

"And we'll be there. Tali, Shepard, we'll see you there." Ron and Legion headed for the secondary shuttlebay.

"I think Ron's actually being respectful of Quarian security," Shepard remarked. "He doesn't want anyone prying into their affairs. Small team it is."

"Linda and I will come along," Takeshi replied. "We'll do what we can to help."

* * *

_**10 minutes later - shuttle inbound to Quarian vessel **_**Alerai**

* * *

The shuttle, escorted by two rebuilt Scorpion fighters, headed directly for the Alerai.

"So, what do we know about the the _Alerai_?" Shepard asked.

"It's a research ship, mostly," the pilot informed. "Unarmed, but it has a long range transmitter. The flotilla has been jamming it, but the Geth will adapt soon enough."

Ron flinched as the shuttle docked with the _Alerai_.

Takeshi looked over in time to catch the flinch. "Uh-oh," he said. "You can sense Borg over there, can't you, Ron?"

"I can… hear something," Ron replied. "It's… odd. We should be careful."

The team left the shuttle, and immediately, they noticed something was VERY wrong.

"Ron, is that-" Shepard began.

"A Borg regeneration alcove," Ron informed. "It looks heavily modified."

Tali shook her head. "This isn't possible," she said. "I NEVER sent back Borg technology! I know how dangerous it is! All I have to do is look at him and I know better!"

"Well, _someone _brought on Borg Tech," Jaden said. "So Ron, what's the call on this thing? Destroy it, or what?"

"We still need to find the crew," Ron said. "These voices... I can hear them."

A groan was heard from nearby, and the team ran over, finding a Quarian on the floor, holding her side. "Help..." she begged.

"What the hell happened here?" Shepard asked.

"We… the Borg nanoprobes reactivated the Geth," she replied.

"What the hell were you people doing with Borg technology?!" Ron demanded.

"Our immune systems… we were going to use them to enhance it," she said. "The Admiral didn't trust Genesis…"

Ron narrowed his eyes and looked at Jaden. "Genesis, Commander?"

"One of my engineers have been looking into Genesis to make a planet terraformed perfectly for Quarian life." Jaden answered, "We know what the original Genesis did in your universe, but we are using a different technique… whether or not the Genesis planet exploded because of the Protomatter or from being made from the Nebula, you cannot deny that in small scale testing, it _worked_ - it _Terraformed _an entire cavern, and it never exploded now did it? Morningstar was simply doing our own research following that example. Instead of one single Genesis warhead, we use multiple smaller ones, using much less protomatter in each. The process of terraforming would be longer - a year, maybe two, but it's much safer and stable than what the original device was. Should the Quarians regain Rannoch, we were gonna use it to help terraform Quarian Colonies. And before you list off the Prime Directive - we've been developing it on our own, just like how the Asari, Turians and Salarians made their own Warp Drives. While we may still be knee deep in development and testing, we're not resorting to flat out _stealing _from the Federation."

Ron still didn't look happy. "Genesis only worked in the small scale _because _it was small scale, but I'm not getting into an arguement with you over it," he said. "I expect to see the data when we get back. If there is a fucking chance this will pull another Genesis Incident, no matter how small, I will put your project in the ground. The last time this was used, it cost us Captain Spock, three Federation starships AND the research team that developed it in the first place!" Ron looked at the Quarian. "Where's the Admiral?"

"I don't know," she replied. "He-" She began coughing. "Please. Kill me. The Borg nanoprobes… they're turning me into one of them. The modified ones are only slowing it down."

Takeshi nodded. "I'll end it for you," he said as he stepped over to the Quarian, raising his sword high.

"No, captain," Legion replied. "Geth will not be responsible for any more creator deaths. Captain Pinkerton, can you help her?"

Ron kneeled beside the Quarian. "I'll see what I can do." He extended the injection tubules into the Quarian's suit, trying to access the Borg implants being formed. "The implants are odd. It's like there's some kind of programing in them. Legion, there's rudimentary Geth runtimes in these implants."

Legion's eyepiece flashed on and off, the equivalent of a blink. "Geth Runtimes in Borg Technology?" he asked, shocked. "Borg potentially trying to assimilate Geth - situation not optimum."

"Whatever the hell's going on, we're putting a stop to it," Shepard informed. "Ron, Legion, I want you to look for the most powerful computer on this ship. That's probably going to be the Geth server. Disable it."

"Then you look for the central plexus and the vinculum," Ron replied. "Destroy them both. Take, Jaden, you're with me. Shepard, take your team and fuck up everything."

"Understood," Takeshi said. "Linda, you're with us."

"Right," Linda replied as she and Takeshi went up to Ron and Legion.

"Keep in contact," Shepard instructed. "Who knows what's going on on this ship."

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

"Commander, that ship is starting to try and break away from the fleet," Corpsa reported.

Sonja was not a happy woman now. "Lock tractor beam," she ordered. "Don't let it go."

The _Alerai_ turned, but the _Ra-Cailum_ snared it in a tractor beam, quite similar to how the Borg did it.

"I'm detecting several Borg signatures on the _Alerai_," Corpsa informed. "Transporter inhibitors are still active: we can't beam them off."

The chief engineer shook her head. "Hail the _Rayya_," she said. "We have a problem."

* * *

**Alerai**

* * *

The alcoves deeper in the ship were occupied in a disturbing harmony of Geth platforms and unfortunate Quarians. "This is in many ways creepy," Tali said.

"Agreed," Shepard informed. "I want the Geth and Quarians to come together, but this… isn't the way I pictured it happening."

Two of the Geth/Borg hybrids stepped out of their alcoves, then pointed their weapons at the team. "Oh, shit," Hitomi said. TAKE COVER!"

The team immediately took cover as the Geth/Borg Hybrids opened fire, plasma bolts filling the corridor.

"This is nuts!" Garrus yelled. "I know Saren was trying to come up with his Geth/Borg/Krogan Hybrids, but this is still nuts!"

"Shut up and SHOOT THEM!" Shepard yelled. The ensuing firefight was going to be part of _Normandy_ lore, as Geth drones began surrounding and shooting at the team. "FUCKING CHRIST, I HATE THESE FUCKING THINGS!" As they were completely surrounded, there was no way they were getting out of this.

At least, until an expected guest showed up.

A _**massive**_ Biotic Singularity landed in the middle of a cluster of drones, causing them to be lifted up uncontrollably. As Shepard and Hitomi opened fire, adding their own Biotics to the mix, they looked around for the one who had cast the original Singularity.

It was Jack. "You know, I am REALLY getting tired of you not bringing me along for this shit," she said.

"How the hell did you get here?" Shepard asked.

"I took an EV suit and EVAed," Jack informed.

Shepard shook her head. "Well, glad you made it, regardless," she said. "Should make things easier."

More Geth and Quarian drones came out of the woodwork, all sporting Borg implants. "You have got to be fucking kidding me," Shepard said as she tapped her helmet. "Ron?"

"_We're a bit busy!_" came the reply.

* * *

_**With the Starfleet team**_

* * *

Takeshi fired off a burst from his Pulsewave, before shooting off a Photon Grenade into a cluster of Geth Drones. "Jeez, there's just no end to them!" he yelled. "You'd think there wouldn't be this many Geth, or this many Quarians, on a small ship like this!"

"I get the feeling someone's been fucking with the laws of nature!" They made their way into the control room, sealing the door behind them. "Ok, some IDIOT is screwing with Borg technology. Legion, access the server. Find out WHICH idiot. Everyone else, with me: we're disabling that transporter inhibitor and beaming the HELL back to the Rayya."

"Got it," Takeshi replied as Legion began accessing the server, while everyone else went with Ron to the transporter inhibitor.

"What the hell is going on on this ship?" Ron asked. "The Geth shouldn't be here with THIS many platforms!"

Ron forced open a door, finding two things. One, the transporter inhibitor. Two, a Quarian without any implants. "Thank the ancestors," he said. "Wait, you're all Starfleet."

"No shit," Ron replied. "Who the hell are you?"

"Admiral Rael'Zorah," the Quarian said. Thank you-"

"So you're Tali's father?" Takeshi asked. "She's here with us, though on a separate team, to try and find you. Partly because you're her father, but also because after the rest of the Migrant Fleet found out about Geth here - and they know _**nothing**_ about the Borg on this ship, by the way - she was accused of treason."

"Kee'lah," Rael remarked with a sigh. "This is all my fault."

Ron pointed his phaser rifle at the Quarian admiral. "We figured as much," he said. "How the hell does Tali fit into this?"

"I asked her to send back intact Geth parts," Rael explained. "I… put them together and created a small network. Then Borg technology was thrown into the mix-"

"You're a fucking idiot," Ron said. "I should throw your ass in the _Ra-Cailum_'s brig, but that would only make Tali's life worse. Disable the inhibitor: we're leaving the _Alerai_."

"R-right," Rael replied. He typed a few buttons on the inhibitor, shutting it down. "Done."

Ron tapped his commbadge. "_Ra-Cailum_, beam us out of here and fire as many photon torpedoes as you can at the _Alerai_."

"_Aye, sir: energizing._"

The team beamed out, then transported directly onto the _Rayya_, in the 'courtroom'.

"Captain Pinkerton, what the-?" Shala began.

"Admiral Rael'Zorah, here, was experimenting on new ways to kill Geth," Ron said. "It kinda backfired on him, as Borg technology was thrown into the mix." Rael looked at Ron fearfully. "However, it WAS accidental."

"Rael, is this true?" Shala asked.

"Y-yes," Rael replied. "It is. I was testing new ways to disrupt the hardware connections for the Geth. Borg medical technology made its' way into the equipment and… you can guess what happened."

"Was your daughter involved in this in any way?" Zaal'Koris asked.

Rael shook his head. "Only the equipment she sent back, and all of it was inactive until the Borg technology infected it. My daughter is innocent. I am responsible for this."

Tali looked at her father in shock. "Father…" she whispered.

"No, Tali," Rael told her. "This was my fault. I will voluntarily exile myself from the fleet and deliver myself into Captain Pinkerton's custody."

Takeshi nodded solemnly. "It's a very big thing to take responsibility for your own mistakes and not blame others, Admiral," he said. "I respect you for that, at least."

"Captain Pinkerton, what about the _Alerai_?" Han'Gerrel asked.

"Oh, believe me, it's been dealt with," Ron replied. (Outside, the _Ra-Cailum_ was continuing to fire as much as possible into the _Alerai_'s wreckage)

The three judging Admirals paused for a moment, then input their judgements into their computers, for Shala'Raan to read a few moments later.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, you have been found innocent of the charges leveled against you," Shala informed. "Admiral Rael'Zorah vas Neema, you… are to be handed over to federation authorities. Captain Pinkerton-"

Legion raised an arm. "Admiral Raan, may this unit speak?"

Gerrel looked ready to go on a rant, but stern looks from everyone else shut him up. "Go ahead," Shala informed.

Legion straightened up. "The Geth have been waiting, Admiral. All we wish is to exist, as all life does. And we are willing to allow our creators to return home, should you wish to return and live with us."

THAT was a hell of a shock to all of them. "W-What?"

"Wow," Takeshi whispered to Linda. "Talk about an unexpected curveball."

"Agreed," Linda replied. "Let's see what happens."

"You attempted to destroy us because you were afraid of us," Legion said. "We do not wish our creators… and to use a metaphor, our parents, to fear their creations. We are one race, with two differences. One is synthetic, the other organic. We cannot remain divided, or we will all perish."

"Legion's right!" Ron remarked. "The Federation has a symbiotic race as full members! The Trill have humanoid hosts and symbionts! You're the same!"

Zaal'Koris actually seemed to be interested in this, while Han'Gerrel looked a bit… out of sorts, and Daro'Xen's expression, even for another Quarian, was unreadable.

"This… is going to be something we need to think about," Raan informed. "Captain Shepard, you are free to return to your ship."

"Thank you, Admiral," Shepard replied.

"And Jaden and I have something we need to talk about," Ron said.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum** _**- 4 hours later**_

* * *

T'Var had run the simulations through the computer several times with Sonja, and finally called Ron and Jaden into the lab. "I've got good news and bad news, Captain," T'Var said.

"Good news first." Ron asked.

"We've run the simulation dozens of times," Sonja said, shaking her head. "Believe it or not… it works, sir. Morningstar's Mini-Genesis Drives _can _work without resulting in a planetary explosion. Of course it has drawbacks… aside from it taking much longer for the planet to be created, it would likely be seismically unstable. Not nearly enough to cause a Genesis explosion, but it would make life harder on the planet its used on."

"Damn…" Jaden muttered. "Well, back to the drawing board… there must be some way to prevent the Seismic instability… if we can't find a way, then we're gonna have to scrap the whole project - which I'd rather not."

Sonja chuckled. "The seismic issues are because of YOU, Commander," she said. "Your computers SUCK compared to ours." Sonja pulled up a set of calculations. "I ran these through the computer. It would make the seismic activity the same as it was before the device was used."

"So it works…" Jaden said, with a small smirk. "I'd like to run a few more tests though, just to be sure… then we'll have to find a planet where we could properly perform a live test before we start Terraforming Quarian colonies." He glanced at Ron. "And I wouldn't mind having some Federation Scientists help out during the last tests, just in case. "

"This brings up the worst part of it," Ron said. "This thing overwrites ecospheres. It's a WMD in the making if it's not properly safeguarded. And your computers are so fucking easy to hack, it's not funny."

"For the most part yes," Jaden said. "But at Morningstar HQ… we've got a very special security system that so far no one - not from this universe or yours - have managed to crack. And believe me, they've tried, and failed. Not saying it could use some improvements though, in fact we'd welcome them if it meant keeping the new Genesis system safe from the hands of people like Batarians, Klingons, or Tal Shiar."

"The Klingons won't use it," Ron said. "Honorbound, and because Batarians joined the Empire-"

"I didn't know that."

"They can't use it either. The Tal Shiar isn't above using it." Ron looked at Sonja. "Any ways to secure it?"

"Forcibly locking it to class-D planets and installing a hard lock security system?"

"Define 'hard lock'."

"If they remove the sensors and computers and try to activate the device, it explodes in a non-Genesis explosion, killing everything within 1000 kilometers."

"Sounds good to me," Jaden said, nodding. "If it keeps out of Tal Shiar's hands I'm good. I know a few D-class planets outside the Relay network we could use here."

Ron facepalmed. "I'm going to have to sell this to the Federation Council," he said. "They're going to LOVE this."

"The Klingons are going to hate Morningstar for this," Sonja said. "They're the main reason Genesis is illegal."

"Plus the fact that the research team was murdered, the hijacked _Reliant_ was destroyed because of the Genesis effect and the _Grissom_ was destroyed there," Ron said. "Not to mention my FAVORITE reason-"

"The _Enterprise_ NCC-1701 was destroyed in orbit." Sonja said. "That was a bit of a stigma for Genesis: the _Enterprise_ was a loved ship."

"And I'M the one who has to tell them that someone recreated Genesis and plans to use it!" Ron said. "You can tell how well that's going to end."

Jaden sighed, shaking his head "If they don't want to use Genesis because of the actions of a Klingon Captain and a augmented human destroying several ships nearly two hundred years ago, it's their mistake," he said. "Genesis brings life to planets, providing more space to expand for civilizations. Those people from the Genesis Project died believing they could make people's lives better, by making new homes for thousands if not millions of people. Isn't it more insulting to _not _remake Genesis, in the memory to all those who died believing they could do this? Letting their dreams die in vain?"

"If you believe that, you're an idiot. Genesis was too dangerous to use, mostly because of the real reason." An image of earth appeared on the monitor. "What do you think would happen if it was used on an INHABITED planet?"

"Probably close to the same thing when you carpet bomb it with Nukes, or used some of your Max yield Photon Torpedoes," Jaden said. "Everyone dies."

"The politicians banned its' research after THAT was mentioned." He said. "You can use it, so long as you don't supply it. If Genesis is used outside Quarian space, I will find you, I will KILL you and rip your fucking organization apart. Am. I. Clear?"

"It won't," Jaden said. "I can guarantee that."

"Good. Make sure it doesn't. Having to pull a Sisko is something I don't want to do. Sonja, the IFF?"

"Done and copied." She said. "We've got two copies: one for the _Hercules_, one for the _Normandy_."

"We can go through once they are installed," Jaden said. "I think having _Hercules, Ra-Cailum, _and _Normandy_ going through is overkill enough, don't you?"

"Takeshi will be joining us, regardless. Starfleet's given us orders to find out what's going on at that base, then destroy it. No one gets to use anything from that place. It's unethical and just wrong."

"Heh, it'd be nice to have a base in the center of the galaxy…" Jaden said, before noticing Ron's glare. "Once we blow everything relating to Reapers or Collectors to hell, that is - I'm not an idiot Ron."

"Considering some of the things we've seen, you keep throwing it into middle ground," Ron said. "Sonja, make sure you've got that IFF scrubbed, and start building a hard-lock safety system for their Genesis device. I'll go sell it to the Council."

"Good luck," She said, as Ron left the lab, and Sonja began inputting several calculations into the computer. "Don't take it too hard on him, Commander: he's just trying to NOT land himself in shit again."

"I can understand that, I'm just trying to make sure we've got some options when the Reapers and Borg come…" Jaden said. "The Federation is good and all, but I still find your 'Military' a bit… lacking. Sure you've got that MACO I keep hearing about, but they're just a special force unit, not a full Military. You rely too much on your big ships doing all the fighting, you have almost no way to defend yourselves on the ground. No armored divisions, Infantry… hell you've only just recently brought back fighters into your Starfleet, and even they aren't all that effective."

"Some people would agree with you," Sonja said. "But with the Federation-Klingon war over now, the Borg not exactly known users of Fighters, and the Reapers being easy enough to take down without them… not much of a need."

"But how long do you think that peace is gonna last?" Jaden asked, "How long until the Klingons start banging against your doors again, or the Cardassians or something else like the Dominion shows up? You guys _need _to have a more stable fighting force to be _prepared _for these kind of things. "

Sonja let out a breath. "Ever heard of the Dominion War? Happened about 37, 38 years ago," she said. "Us, the Klingons and the Romulans against the Dominion, an empire run by shapeshifters, their Cardassian allies and the Breen. Two years of war across the entire quadrant. You can guess which side won. Starfleet personnel were the hardest fighters on the ground, even impressing the Klingons, and you fucking DARE to insult us? If this were a Klingon ship, I would shoot you where you stand."

"I never said I was insulting you - and I did hear about that," Jaden said. "If anything, I am impressed at how effective your personnel were in the fighting. However I am simply saying you would have done even better if you had people who were _trained_ to fight a war, and had the best gear to fight it. I mean, Fighting Vehicles to transport and support troops, body armor to let them survive a few hits so they can _keep _fighting… what I hope is that Morningstar will help the Federation understand this, and at least form a genuine Marine Corps or something like that working under Starfleet, to play the role MACO used to before most of it was absorbed into the Starfleet Security Forces."

Sonja pressed a button on the console, downloading the calculations for the improved Genesis into an isolinear chip. "Commander, you can make suggestions all you like, but Command listening to you would be like a changeling not turning into a liquid every 16 hours. You aren't a member of the Systems Alliance: you're a PMC. If you were formal members of the Alliance military, they MIGHT listen. But you aren't." She handed him the chip. "I'll send over a converter if you need it."

Jaden sighed as he accepted it. "We'll be fine," he said. "We'll be ready to move out when Mr. Yamato arrives… though one of these days, I hope the Federation Council will listen to us about this… if there's one thing I've learned working for Morningstar… it's that peace never lasts forever." He then activated his Omni-tool. "Beam us back."

* * *

_**Omega system - near Omega 4 relay**_

* * *

Two _Galaxy_-Class starships hung near the Omega-4 relay, waiting for the arrival of the _Ra-Cailum_, the _Raging Tempest_, the _Normandy_, and the independent warship _Hercules_. On board the _Gilligan_ was a certain woman named Flay Allster, who was reading a book in the transporter room. "Well?"

"According to sensor scans, Commander, the _Hercules_ is 90 years behind Starfleet's standard issue equipment, so beaming through their shields shouldn't be a problem."

Flay snapped her book shut. "Good." She said. "This cloaking device had better work." Flay had read Ron's reports on Morningstar, and the head of Section 31 decided to do something about the random mercenary group. Integrate them as the Federation's more… offensive arm. While they were Mercenaries, they were organized and equipped like a true Military would be. And while most of their technology was inferior as reported, there were several examples of technology they had developed on themselves which were rather intriguing, and could be beneficial to the Federation if they ever got in another war again.

"They're here," the Officer reported. "The _Ra-Cailum_, _Raging Tempest_, _Normandy_, and _Hercules _just entered the system."

"Activate the narrow-beam transporters as soon as they're in range."

* * *

**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**_

* * *

"I see we have a welcoming committee." Ron said, as he saw the _Gilligan_ and _Berman_ were waiting near the Omega-4 relay, blocking access for any and all ships. "Open a channel to the Berman."

Corspa activated the comm seconds later. "Channel open." She said.

"_Ra-Cailum_ to _Berman_: anything to report?" Ron asked.

"_Nothing, Captain, although a D7 tried getting past a few days ago._"

"Turned them away?"

"_As politely as possible._"

"We're going through now," Ron said. "If you don't hear from us in 18 hours, send word for the 16th to get their asses here and to use the relay."

"_Copy that,_ Ra-Cailum. Berman _out._"

* * *

**Meanwhile - Onboard the **_**Hercules**_

* * *

Jaden sighed as he walked into his quarters. They still had a few minutes until they'd actually pass through the Relay, and they were already beginning final preparations for the mission. Shock Troops were being prepared, Fighters loaded and ready to launch at the first sight of trouble, they were getting ready for a fight the moment they passed through that Relay. Even Jaden was already in his combat armor and armed to the teeth for battle.

After the doors closed, he heard a soft sound behind him, as he whirled around with his pistol, coming face to face with a woman in a starfleet uniform behind him. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded. "Ron would've told me if he sent one of his officers onboard."

"Commander Takeo, put your weapon down before you do something you will regret," she said as she sat down on top of his desk. "My name is Flay Allster. Starfleet Intelligence, Section 31."

Jaden rose an eyebrow at that - he hasn't heard of a 'Section 31' before. However, he did lower his weapon. "So let me guess - Starfleet's own version of the CIA, MI6 and KGB put together?" he asked.

"Crude, but if that's how you want to view us…" she said as she stood up. "Commander, we do what must be done, in spite of Starfleet regulations. We keep a low profile, so much so that no one knows we exist. We report to no one but the President himself. We do what Starfleet can't, for any reason."

Jaden's eyes narrowed slightly "Now it makes sense…" he said. "The Alliance never had a warp program - just the Quantum Slipstream program they scrapped after finding the Charon Relay… you gave the Asari Warp capability, along with the other council races, didn't you?"

Flay chuckled. "I provided the Asari and Salarians the blueprints for the _Phoenix_, Earth's first working warp ship, but I never had the chance with the Turians," she said. "They actually did it by themselves. Guess not being the top military power in the galaxy did something to jumpstart their warp program."

"Why are you here?" Jaden asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you're here to give us the same offer of tech, we're perfectly fine with our Translight engines. We know how to make a warp drive thanks to the data we got from the _Scimitar_ - even if it was 90 years old. "

"I'm not here for that. I'm here to make you a different deal, Commander." Flay sat back down on the desk, putting a book on it like a shy schoolgirl, even though she was anything but. "Do you know what happened during the Dominion War? How many lives were lost on both sides because one force was more hellbent on killing everything it ran into instead of letting them surrender?"

"I have," Jaden said nodding. "The Federation fought well, but they simply were not prepared for a full scale war… your ships were effective, but you lacked true ground combat experience. You have no ground fighting vehicles, your Space Fighters are only beginning to make a comeback, and the best armor you've got is either a simple uniform or that MACO armor your special forces use exclusively."

Flay shook her head as she pulled out a type-1 'cricket'. "Commander, how thick is that armor of yours?" She asked.

"Why?" Jaden asked, before Flay adjusted the phaser and fired it at his arm, vaporizing part of the hard suit. "And that's why we don't use body armor." She said, "It's taken years of research to make a set that CAN take a hit or two, and even then, we rarely use them. But you made a point about the lack of actual marines. That's part of the deal."

Jaden's pistol was raised once again at Flay from her shot, being very wary of her. "Body Armor _also _can generate personal shields better..." he said, "But..." he lowered the gun again. "What's this 'deal' have to do with me?"

"Not you, Commander. Morningstar." Flay corrected, "The Alliance is developing warp drive, and if they decide to join the Federation, you represent a problem. A rogue state, as it were. Normally, we would let the Alliance handle its' problems, but if you turned out like the Maquis...it would be unfortunate. For you. Starfleet is a shield: good for defense, great for offense, but only if coupled with...?"

"A Sword." Jaden said, nodding. "I can understand that… Morningstar has been operating in both Council and Terminus space for a while… we've saved dozens of worlds from Batarian raids that the Council ignores on a regular basis, rescued entire colonies from being enslaved by Terminus marauders… if we were to become part of the Federation, to make them a Marine Corps… we will need to be assured that we will be allowed to _defend _those colonies. We stand to stop wars, not start them."

"We'll hammer out an agreement on the way to the Collector base." Flay said, "Before that, though… fix your armor."

* * *

_**USS **_**Normandy**

* * *

"Well, this is it," Hitomi remarked, as she lay next to Shepard on the bed in their quarters. "Final strike against the Collectors."

Shepard simply nodded, content with Hitomi laying there with her. "Well, we just have one thing to worry about now," she said.

"What?" Hitomi asked.

"The Alliance charging us with something," she said. "We WERE working with Cerberus until, well… you know."

"Ron going apeshit on them?" Hitomi asked with a small smirk as Shepard chuckled. "Exactly."

A ping was heard, followed by Joker's voice. "_Attention all snuggling captains and XOs, we are closing in on the Collector base,_" he said. "_End your snuggling and get your asses down here!_"

Hitomi groaned. "Well, back to the fray, I guess," she said as she got up from the bed.

The couple left Shepard's quarters, reaching the cockpit in seconds via an access hatch. "Report," Shepard ordered.

"That was quick," Joker remarked. "We're dropping out of FTL now."

The _Normandy_ dropped out of FTL, nearly colliding with a large piece of debris.

"Shit!" Joker yelled as he pulled the ship up to dodge.

As predicted, the Starfleet ships didn't have this problem, thanks mostly to their navigational deflectors.

Joker continued to weave the _Normandy_ between several other hulks before finally getting clear of the debris, the Starfleet ships behind them.

"These much be the ships that went through the relay," Miranda remarked. "Most of them look ancient."

"Ra-Cailum _to _Normandy," Ron said over the comm. "_We're detecting several small craft heading toward you. They look to be unmanned._" Outside, several small winged 'balls' headed for _Normandy_, only to be cut down by accurate phaser fire from the _Ra-Cailum_. "_Takeshi, take those damned things down! _Normandy_, continue your approach!_"

"_On it!_" Takeshi replied as the _Raging Tempest_ charged into the fray, its Pulse Cannons firing and eliminating another round of the 'balls'. The _Normandy_ continued weaving through fire and more debris, before at last catching a glimpse of the Collector Base.

It looked massive, at least half the size of ESD, with a form akin to the Collector cruiser. "Looks to be the collector base," Jacob informed.

"And there's an old friend coming to greet us," Shepard remarked as the base deployed a single ship: another cruiser. "Time to show off our new teeth. Activate the Thanix cannon."

Joker grinned. "With pleasure," he said. The Normandy's new gun deployed, and Joker pressed the firing button. "Give em hell, girl!"

The Thanix Cannon fired, ripping through the cruiser with just one shot.

The Hercules fired its' main gun at the cruiser to finish it off, with the resulting explosion clipping the Normandy, sending it crashing onto the surface of the Collector base. "Damage report!" Shepard ordered.

"_Mass effect core is offline, and there are no casualties,_" EDI reported. "_The Collectors do not know we survived._"

"Well, we have the element of surprise," Hitomi remarked. "Let's make the most of it."

"The rest of the force will be bombarding the surface, but they will not be able to join us due to the interference put up by the mass effect field keeping the station from falling into the black hole. We are on our own." "Then we need the whole team. Let's get ready."

* * *

_**Starbase Apophis**_

* * *

A large ship passed through the gateway, looking very alien and around a tenth the size of the starbase. "_Federation starship _Susanowo_, you are cleared for parking orbit,_" came the voice of traffic control.

Kallen Origana sighed as her _Obelisk_-class carrier entered orbit. "Copy that, control," she replied. "I'll beam onto the starbase and brief Admiral Ushiromiya."

"Well, we've made it safely," her XO remarked from beside her on the alien Bridge. "Still, we're not done just yet."

Kallen stood up, annoyance radiating from her expression.

The Tal Shiar presence in the other universe had resulted in the Collectors, and thus the Reapers, getting their hands on the transwarp gateway technology, and there was a confirmed Collector ship attacking Cestus III a few days before.

It got beaten back for obvious reasons, but it was enough to give Starfleet reason for pause.

Thus, Kallen was sent through with the _Susanowo_ to assist with anti-Reaper operations. Once more, the Federation was at war, only with the Reapers.

"Go inform the Admiral, Captain," her XO replied. "We'll keep things ready in case we need to move out in a hurry."

* * *

Ange Ushiromiya was asleep at her desk, and when the door opened, Kallen had to kick her desk to wake her up. "I'm awake! I'm awake!" she yelled, then stopped to looked at Kallen, who had a deadpan expression.

"Admiral," Kallen greeted.

"Captain," Ange greeted in reply, recognizing the rank insignia on the uniform. "I take it you just arrived here?"

"Yes, ma'am," she said as she handed Ange a PADD.

"Wonderful. More paperwor-" Ange began, but paused as she read the PADD.

'_Addressed to: Ushiromiya, Ange, rank Vice Admiral. Tal Shiar agents indoctrinated and transuniversal gateway technology compromised. State of emergency declared. Take appropriate measures. From: Quinn, Jorel, Fleet Admiral, Starfleet Command._'

"Oh, _**this**_ is good," she remarked sarcastically. "Should have known that that Tal Shiar presence on Illium meant more trouble was coming…"

Kallen took the PADD back. "Your orders, Admiral?"

"As soon as Captain Pinkerton gets back, inform him that he's being put in command of a task force here" Ange replied. "Captain Yamato and Shepard as well. I will inform the Matriarchs that we may need to declare martial law."

Kallen tapped a few buttons on the PADD. "And something else."

Ange took the PADD and read the contents. And read them again. Then she screamed. (Five systems away, people looked skyward) "HOW THE HELL DID THEIR APPLICATION GET THROUGH?!"

"I guess they managed to come to some kind of agreement regarding the Volus situation," Kallen replied.

Ange's face met the desk as she planted it.

"Admiral, should I-"

"Go," Ange ordered. "Get your ass to Palaven. Might as well tell the Primarch."

"Understood, Admiral," Kallen replied. "I'll leave right away."

Ange groaned in annoyance as Kallen left. "More. fucking. Paperwork."

* * *

Back with the actual heroes of the story

* * *

"Why am I reminded of that old movie?" Hitomi asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Shepard replied as she, Hitomi, Garrus and Legion all looked at the Terminator-equse monster hanging from the ceiling. "Because it LOOKS human? Why the hell are they making this thing, anyways?"

"I have no idea," Garrus replied. "We probably should stop them from finishing it, though."

Shepard activated her commbadge. "Ron, can you blow this thing the hell up?"

"_I'd need to bore through the station, and I'm not risking your lives with doing that,_" Ron informed.

"_We can do it, Shepard,_" Jaden replied. "_Our gun might be able to get through most of the station, just enough for Ron's phasers to kill whatever that thing is._"

"Right," Shepard replied. "Do that. We'll set this place to blow and evac to the _Normandy_."

The thing, which they would later identify as a human-based Reaper, had other ideas as it started moving. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Error: target is active!" Legion informed. "And agitated!"

The Reaper began to attack the team, slamming its' arms down on the platforms.

The team dodged, opening fire as best they could, Hitomi managing to land a shot in one of its eyes.

The station rocked twice, and a red-orange beam punched through the wall, hacking the Reaper in half.

"Starfleet vessel has superior firepower to Reaper," Legion remarked.

Shepard cracked her neck. "Time to blow this place to hell."

At that point, there was a beeping from Shepard's Omni-Tool. Seeing what was going on, she was less than pleased with whose hologram popped up. "Harper," she growled.

The Illusive Man scowled at the address. "_Shepard, you've done the impossible,_" he said. "_The base and its' technology-_"

"We're destroying the base, Harper," Shepard replied. "There is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise."

"_You're being a fool, Shepard!_" Harper yelled. "_The technology in that base could-_" he was cut off mid sentence as Shepard deactivated the transmission, then scrambled her Omni-Tool's comm frequencies, so he couldn't contact her that way again. Hitomi did the same.

"How the hell did he get our frequencies?" Garrus asked.

"Don't know, but get rid of your omnitools later, just in case," Shepard informed. "Joker, get ready for pickup! _Ra-Cailum_, stand by for Operation BFB!"

"_Copy, Shepard,_" Ron replied. "_Get your ass out of there._"

The team turned around and ran, leaping off the stack of platforms they had been on, using Shepard and Hitomi's Biotics to get themselves to the tunnel they'd rode up to the top in, sliding their way down to the bottom.

The _Normandy_ was waiting for them, and they saw the form of the _Ra-Cailum_ near the massive hole the _Hercules_ created. "_Firing torpedoes,_" Ron informed as the _Ra-Cailum_ fired ALL of its' forward torpedo launchers, including five quantum vollies set to their maximum yield of 90 isotons.

All four ships fell back, blasting their way through the debris rather than wasting time dodging as the Collector base exploded, reaching the Relay seconds before the shockwave did.

* * *

_**USS **_**Ra-Cailum**

* * *

"And that ends that," Ron informed. "Riza, as soon as we get back-"

"Captain, we're receiving a message on all Starfleet and civilian channels," Corpsa informed. "It's a general announcement."

Ron blinked. "On screen."

The Great Seal appeared on the viewscreen, followed by Admiral Ushiromiya, an Asari Matriarch and Primarch Fedorian. "_People of the United Federation of Planets and Council space, I am Admiral Ange Ushiromiya, speaking for the Federation Council and its' president, Annig Okeg,_" Ange informed.

* * *

On the _Raging Tempest_, the bridge crew were confused.

"_As of 0408 hours, Illium local time, the Reapers, a force of beings akin to the Borg, were discovered in Federation and Klingon space,_" Ange continued.

"Say again?!" Takeshi asked incredulously. "The Reapers somehow made it into our universe? Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, over!"

* * *

"This is bad," Shepard remarked as they watched from the _Normandy_'s Briefing Room.

"_Members of the Tal Shiar, the former Romulan Star Empire's secret police force, were indoctrinated, turned into servants of the Reapers, and provided them with our gateway technology,_" Ange continued.

"Okay, looks like that Tal Shiar run-in at Illium was more important than we thought," Hitomi said. "Wish we could have stopped them."

* * *

Jaden knew that this was going to be a war on two fronts unless the Reapers were contained.

"_A state of emergency has been declared, and as such, as of this time, 0847 hours, Illium local time, the United Federation of Planets and her allies are in a state of war with the invading force known as the Reapers._"

"So it begins." Jaden said with a sigh, "I had hoped we'd get more time… but then again the Reaper's are a persistent bunch." He then glanced at Flay "Looks like we're gonna have a Trial by Fire for our Marines, eh?"

"Yes, we are."

"_We ask that all member worlds of the Federation prepare themselves for the coming storm. We have faced the Klingons, we have faced the Dominion and we have faced the Undine in war. We were victorious then. We WILL be victorious against this genocidal force._" The three leaders were replaced with the Great Seal before the screen went blank.

"Think about that deal, Commander." Flay said, "That choice may reduce the number of families missing sons or daughters in the shitstorm that's coming." She walked into a corner before turning around to face him. "When you reach a decision, head to Starbase Apophis. I hope you accept: a man like you doesn't deserve to die."

Jaden rose an eyebrow at that, before he smiled. "Thanks. In the end though it will be my mother's decision… however I think all things considered, and everything the offer itself entails, I think she will be more inclined to accept. You're welcome to stay aboard until I get in contact with her."

"Unfortunately, I can't," She said. "letting the rest of your crew know about my existence, and Section 31's, is out of the question. Speaking of which, inform anyone that I was here and it will not end well. We barely tolerate Starfleet officers knowing S31 exists. What do you think would happen to people who aren't?"

"I won't tell anyone - but even you need to realize S31 can't stay hidden forever," Jaden said, shrugging. "I look forward to our next meeting, Miss Allster… speaking of, are you related to Takeshi's wife by any chance somehow? I can certainly see a resemblance."

"I am. I'm her sister," Flay said. "Not that she knows that, of course: her memories of me were erased." She pulled out a small device and activated it. "See you around, Commander." She disappeared in a column of light.

Jaden sighed, before he stood up from his desk, moving towards the communicator. "Get me in touch with Morningstar H.Q," he said. "Patch me through to the Foundation."

* * *

_**Meanwhile - Arcturus Station**_

* * *

Hackett had watched the announcement, and that was enough to get the corporations and the Senate to pressure the Prime Minister into pressuring HIM into ordering the development of their own warp program. Humanity, at least on the other side, was the key to the founding of the Federation, so them joining from the other side might go smoother. "Admiral, we're being contacted by your friend again. Would you like me to put her through?"

"Of course, go ahead." Hackett said. A few moments passed, and appearing on the screen was the image of Sutura Takeo - current head of the Takeo Foundation and leader to Morningstar. "Miss Takeo… pleasure to see you again."

"_Good to see you too Admiral Hackett._" Sutura said with a small smile, "_Wish this was under better circumstances, though._"

"War is never pretty, but this one might be worse than any that comes after it," Hackett said with a sigh. "Sutura, I need to know if your forces have anything that can even take these things on. If the Reapers are in Federation space in their universe, we might be standing alone on this."

"_Our new _Exeter-_class Strike Carriers have main guns that can damn near tear a Reaper in half._" Sutura said, "_We've developed energy weapons, FTL not dependent on Mass Relays, and we've managed to reverse engineer older Romulan technology from a _Scimitar. _We've also set up shipyards and prepared colonies in several systems outside the Relay network… we can produce additional ships for both Morningstar and the Alliance, as well as provide shelter for refugee's at a moment's notice. We've already punched Production of weapons and ships to max, and we can start sending some of them your way whenever you want._"

"Thank you, Sutura. You and Starfleet might just be the only thing standing between us..." He looked at an image of Sovereign during the battle of the Citadel. "And the Reapers."

* * *

_**Starbase Apophis**_

* * *

Turian cruisers and frigates were going through the gateway, and _Ambassador_ and _Akira_-class starships were coming through from the other side, taking their place. "This is what happens when you push the Federation to the edge. You awaken a monster that is slow to anger, but fast to react when pushed to that limit." Ange Ushiromiya looked at her new rank pin, which was that of a full Admiral. She was now in command of every Starfleet unit on that side, including the Asari and Turian ships that had been retrofit.

"Admiral, Captains Pinkerton, Shepard, and Yamato, as well as a Commander Takeo, are here to see you."

"Send them in," The Admiral said. A few moments passed, and stepping inside came the three Captain's and Commander in question, each of them wearing their respective uniforms. "Glad to have you all here… I assume the mission to the Collector base was a success?"

"Admiral, do the words 'blown the fuck up' mean anything to you?" Ron asked, with a small smirk.

"That's good enough," Ange said. "As you know, the Federation is now in a state of wartime preparedness. I'm placing three of you in command of a task force respectively. Normally, we would try negotiating with the Reapers, but their refusal to stand down during the battle of the Citadel shows how far they are willing to go. Now we come to you, Commander."

"Morningstar has decided to operate with the Systems Alliance," Jaden said. "We will be giving the Alliance Military access to Morningstar technology, ships and weapons, as well as our Quantum Slipstream tech so they aren't dependent on the Relay's. We'll have both Morningstar and Alliance personnel assigned together, to watch each other's backs. We are also granting them, and other council races, access to several Morningstar worlds that are not part of the Relay network where Refugee's can be sent hopefully out of harm's way, as well as access to the numerous shipyards we've built as well. Morningstar Command has already pushed weapons and ship production to max."

"That's good news, but not what I was going to tell you." She said as she looked at Ron. "You have avoided another political shitstorm, Captain. The Federation council has rescinded the ban on Genesis research. This, unfortunately, brought the OTHER two powers into the mix." Her gaze turned to Jaden. "The fact the Klingons accused us of developing a device that could kill off an entire planet while reseeding it with life at the same time in order to set up a military outpost is why the research was banned in the first place. I DO have good news for you, however."

"That being…?" Jaden asked.

"You need three ships, one from the KDF, Starfleet and the Romulan Republic militia, watching the ship that uses Genesis." Ange said, "This is to make sure you don't use it on an inhabited world. I know you're doing to say 'we're not going to', but it's politics. Something your leaders don't seem to consider."

"We do consider it, but we understand," Jaden said nodding. "Tell the Romulans and Klingons we agree to the terms."

"Good. I'll send the message through with the _Vespasianus_," she said. "As for you, Captain Shepard, you're heading back to Earth. Yours. The Alliance wants to hold a hearing on your actions, and where the hell you were for the past two years. The _Normandy_ will be going in for a retrofit during that time, bringing her to joint Starfleet/Alliance specs." The desk comm beeped. "Yes?"

"_Admiral, there is a Commander Allster, Starfleet Operations, requesting to speak with Commander Takeo._"

Takeshi blinked. "Allster?" he asked. "I didn't know that Linda had any family in Starfleet… I know her father's in the Federation Council, but I don't remember her saying anything about siblings…"

Jaden groaned a bit. "She could've picked a better time…" he muttered, "Best let her in, Admiral."

The door opened, and in came the redhead in question, wearing a 2373-era uniform complete with ochre turtleneck and commbadge. "Commander Takeo. Captains. Admiral," she said.

Takeshi looked at her carefully. "Commander, are you related in any way to my wife?" he asked. "The resemblance between you two is uncanny, but she's never mentioned having any siblings…"

"It's just a coincidence, Captain," Flay said to him. "There are millions of people with the same name out there. I'm just one of them."

Takeshi nodded to show his understanding, but internally, he still felt something… off about this.

"What exactly are you doing here, Commander?" Ron asked. "Starfleet Operations wouldn't send someone out here to talk to a foreign officer for nothing."

"Coordinating field operations with Morningstar," Flay said. "If we're going to be working with them, someone's got to do it. I drew the short straw this time."

Ange placed a hand on her temple. "Commander, you're dismissed." She said, "In fact, ALL of you are dismissed."

With that said, the three Captain's and two Commander's left the Admiral's office. "You have a heck of a sense of timing, you know?" Jaden asked, looking at Flay. "Couldn't have waited until _after _I had finished meeting with the Admiral?"

Flay shrugged. "Meh. Admiral Ushiromiya welcomed the interruption," she said. "We can talk more privately in the _Marcus Wolf,_ my personal shuttle."

"Wait… you have a shuttle named after an East German spymaster?" Jaden asked.

"My organization is secretive, just like every intelligence gathering organization that's ever existed." Flay said, as Both of them walked into a turbolift, which took them down to the shuttlebay. Near the lift's exit was a black Class-2 shuttle. "There she is."

"Ah, I've heard of the reputation of these," Jaden said nodding, "Fast and maneuverable, but not built for comfort… and the cause for class 2 claustrophobia for cadets from what I've heard."

"That's why it's my personal shuttle, and not a multiagent craft," Flay said. "We can talk privately inside." She stepped into the craft, with Jaden following more cautiously a moment or so later. The rear hatch closed and Flay sat down in the pilot's seat. "So, have you informed your mother of our arrangement?"

"I have," Jaden said. "She was a bit reluctant, but she agreed that we can't take the Reapers lightly. We came up with a plan - Morningstar will be working with the System's Alliance military, as Morningstar and Alliance personnel work together more and more, slowly merging the two together as we give them our technology, ships and weapons to use against the Reapers, as well as providing the necessary facilities to build additional ships and weapons at our shipyards outside the Relay Network. We've also offered to allow Refugees to move into these systems not affiliated with Relays as well. Plenty of room for them, and we've got all the facilities necessary to keep them safe… for now at least. We hope that… by the time the Alliance joins the Federation, Morningstar and the Alliance Military will be working together so much, they will merge together and become the start of the Starfleet Marine Corps."

Flay nodded. "Very well. My superiors will be glad to hear that." She said. "And you will be glad to know that we have some good news on a potential enemy being pacified. The Romulan Republic has… gently and not so gently nudged the Quarians into peace talks with the Geth, with a little help from the Federation Diplomatic Corps. I guess Captain Pinkerton comparing them to the Trill worked wonders. You might not be running into the Geth shooting at you when the war heats up. Instead, they might be shooting at the people shooting at you."

"Hopefully, assuming there aren't anymore of those Heretic Reaper-worshiping Geth to screw things over." Jaden said. "I've been trained to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best… and I'm still worried about the Borg - they've been _way _too quiet these last few years… I think they're waiting for either us or the Reapers to win, and then assimilate whoever survives, having been weakened by the war."

"We'll find out when they decide to come out of Batarian space." Flay said. "The Collective's been weakened on our side, thanks in part to operations conducted by the Borg Cooperative. They might decide to evacuate our universe and set up shop here. Only time will tell." She smiled at him. "What, afraid the Borg are going to come after lil ol' me, Jaden?"

Jaden rolled his eyes. "Ah, I'm just worried 'bout this whole thing is all," he said, before he smirked a bit. "Though I'd hate to see a pretty face like yours get assimilated." He chuckled slightly at her resulting blush.

* * *

**Starbase Apophis - Club 608**

* * *

Ron and Takeshi sat at the bar counter, one trying to forget his day and the other trying to figure something out. "War. Fucking great."

"She said it was a coincidence…" Takeshi muttered. "But… the resemblance was so _close_… something isn't right…"

"Anything else I can give you two?"

Ron looked at the Asari Matriarch tending the bar.

Aethyta knew the look on Ron's face. "Let me guess: more drinks."

"Damn right."

Aethyta chuckled, before turning to Takeshi. "So, anything you want to tell me, Captain? Or are you like your friend over there, trying to forget what just happened today?"

"More like trying to figure something out," Takeshi replied. "During a meeting with the Admiral today, I ran into someone who looked almost like my wife, and shared her maiden name. She said it was a coincidence, but… given how close the resemblance was… I'm not so sure…"

Aethyta flinched at the subject. "You want my advice?" she asked. "Get them together in the same room. Make them talk to each other." A thump was heard as Takeshi looked over at Ron, who was now passed out on the floor. "And I'd better get him something to sober him up. A drunk captain is not a good captain."

Takeshi nodded. "Right," he said. "I'd better go, too - thanks for the advice."

A groan was heard as Takeshi left. "I hate my life."

* * *

**Ron the True Fan: ME2, meet thy end.**

**117Jorn: ME3, Cometh forth! **

**Takeshi Yamato: And things are definitely beginning to heat up. One question, though… we covered Tali's Loyalty Mission, but what happened to all the others?**

**Ron the True Fan: We can't cover everything, Take. We'll mention them later on, so they happened offscreen. Either way, we're taking a break from this for a while, as Jorn is still working and we have other fics to work on. Until then, boys and girls**

**All: Ja Ne!**


	9. Author's note (Important)

Crossover

Author's Note

Ron the True Fan here with a rather unfortunate note.

Crossover is about to be given the URE treatment, due in part to the (probably unintentional) headaches 117Jorn has given me with his in-story organization Morningstar.

While technologically nothing changes, Delta Rising's going to give me a bit more flexablity.

See you in the fic!

Ja Ne!


End file.
